Lineated Woodpecker

Dryocopus lineatus

Woodpeckers · Piciformes · Common

The Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) is a common woodpecker found in 20 countries, weighing about 183 g. The lineated woodpecker is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Trinidad in the Caribbean.

Not EvaluatedCommonEats invertebrates183 g

About the Lineated Woodpecker

The lineated woodpecker is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Trinidad in the Caribbean.

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

How to identify it

The lineated woodpecker is 31.5 to 36 cm (12.4 to 14.2 in) long. It resembles the closely related pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) of the United States and Canada. Adults are mainly black above, with a red crest and whitish lines from the base of the bill, down the neck and shoulders (though individuals from the south-eastern part of its range commonly lack the line on the shoulders). The underparts are whitish, heavily barred with black. They show white on the wings in flight. Adult males have a red line from the bill to the throat (malar) and a red forehead.

What the Lineated Woodpecker sounds like

Recording: Andres Felipe Espinosa · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Cristian Eric Miranda · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

When to see it

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

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Lineated Woodpecker?
The lineated woodpecker is 31.5 to 36 cm (12.4 to 14.2 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Lineated Woodpecker?
The Lineated Woodpecker is a medium sized bird weighing about 183 g.
Where can you see a Lineated Woodpecker?
The Lineated Woodpecker occurs in 20 countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and Belize.
What does a Lineated Woodpecker sound like?
You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Lineated Woodpecker on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Lineated Woodpecker?
The Lineated Woodpecker is most easily confused with the White-bellied Woodpecker, the Andaman Woodpecker and the Black-bodied Woodpecker.

Learn the Lineated 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.

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