Appearance
The adult rufous-headed woodpecker is about 27 cm in length. The sexes differ in their facial colouring, with the male having a broad crimson patch on the cheeks which the female lacks. The back of the head in both sexes bears a shaggy crest, and the head, crest and throat are a rich chocolate brown or rufous brown. The nape has shaggy, mustard-coloured feathers, and the mantle and back are black with yellow barring. The rump and upper tail-coverts are yellowish, the main flight feathers in the wing are brown and the tail feathers are black. The upper breast is black while the lower breast and the rest of the underparts and flanks are yellow or cream with black barrings, markings or chevrons. The eye is dark, the beak is ivory or yellowish, and the legs are grey.Distribution
The rufous-headed woodpecker is found in tropical South America, to the east of the Andes. Its range extends from Ecuador and Peru to northern Bolivia, and the westernmost parts of Brazil. It occurs in humid rain forest at altitudes of up to around 300 m, especially near rivers and on islands. In Bolivia it is often associated with "Guadua", a form of clumping bamboo, while in other parts of its range, it is associated with "Gynerium", "Heliconia" and "Cecropia"; it largely feeds on ants in the understory and on the forest floor.Status
The rufous-headed woodpecker has a large range and a presumed large total population. It is generally considered to be uncommon, and the total number of birds is likely to be in slow decline, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.References:
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