Yellow-vented woodpecker

Appearance

The yellow-vented woodpecker is between 15 and 18 cm in length. The male has a red crown, nape and mantle, with black streaking, while the female has a blackish crown, and a red nape and mantle. The sexes are otherwise similar in appearance, with olive-green upper parts with bronze overtones, a dark tail, and yellowish underparts, finely barred with black, grey or olive; the vent area and under-tail coverts are plain yellow. The face is grey, with white bars above and below the eye. The iris is reddish and the beak and legs are grey.

Distribution

The yellow-vented woodpecker is native to northwestern South America. Its range extends from upland Venezuela, through the eastern, central and western ranges of the Andes in Colombia to Ecuador and Peru. It is an upland species, its altitudinal range being from 1,000 to 2,700 m , but it is seldom seen below 1,700 m .

Status

The yellow-vented woodpecker is described as an uncommon species. Its population size has not been quantified but its population seems stable and it has a very large range, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Habitat

The yellow-vented woodpecker is native to northwestern South America. Its range extends from upland Venezuela, through the eastern, central and western ranges of the Andes in Colombia to Ecuador and Peru. It is an upland species, its altitudinal range being from 1,000 to 2,700 m , but it is seldom seen below 1,700 m .This woodpecker is usually seen singly or in pairs, or occasionally in small groups of mixed species. It forages for invertebrates in the twigs and outer branches in the middle and upper parts of the canopy. Its breeding habits are poorly known but it is believed to nest between March and August.