Cream-colored Woodpecker

Celeus flavus

Woodpeckers · Piciformes · Rare

The Cream-colored Woodpecker (Celeus flavus) is a rare woodpecker found in 9 countries, weighing about 147 g. The cream-colored woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae.

Least ConcernRareEats invertebratesforestcavity nest147 g

About the Cream-colored Woodpecker

The cream-colored woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in most mainland South American countries except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The cream-colored woodpecker is about 24 to 27 cm (9.4 to 11 in) long. The nominate subspecies weighs 95 to 131 g (3.4 to 4.6 oz) and C.f. subflavus about 200 g (7.1 oz). All of the subspecies are mostly yellowish with a long crest and a black tail. The "yellowish" varies among individuals from pale creamy yellow to sulfur-yellow and occasionally is cinnamon-white. Adult males have a bright red malar stripe; females have no red. The adult's bill is yellowish, their iris red or red-brown, and their legs dark gray to green-gray. Voice: The cream-colored woodpecker makes "a high-pitched laugh, 'wutchuk kee-hoo-hoo-hoo'", also described as "pueer, pueer, purr, paw". Other calls include "kiu-kiu-kiu-kiu" and "whéejah"; the latter is used in encounters with others of its species and may be repeated.

Where it lives

When to see it

The Cream-colored Woodpecker can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Cream-colored Woodpecker?
The cream-colored woodpecker is about 24 to 27 cm (9.4 to 11 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Cream-colored Woodpecker?
The Cream-colored Woodpecker is a medium sized bird weighing about 147 g.
Where can you see a Cream-colored Woodpecker?
The Cream-colored Woodpecker occurs in 9 countries, including Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Guyana.
What birds look similar to a Cream-colored Woodpecker?
The Cream-colored Woodpecker is most easily confused with the Chestnut Woodpecker, the Variable Woodpecker and the Chestnut-colored Woodpecker.
Is the Cream-colored Woodpecker endangered?
The Cream-colored Woodpecker is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Cream-colored Woodpecker for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.