Green-barred Woodpecker: how to recognise it
A bird of South America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Gustavo Fernando Durán · CC BY-NC-SA · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Colaptes melanochloros
- Family
- Woodpeckers
- Size
- About 28 cm
- Habitat
- Savanna, open woodland and dry scrub
- Found in
- South America
The key marks
Olive-green woodpecker barred above, with pale green underparts spotted black, a black crown, red nape patch and white cheeks. Northern Flicker is brown above with bold black bars, has a white rump and a black bib on a spotted chest.
Voice
A loud 'kwiek-kwik-kwik' and harsh, screechy notes.
Good to know
Ants make up almost its whole diet, and it often feeds on the ground.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Northern Flicker. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in savanna, open woodland and dry scrub. It is especially common in Argentina. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.