Ochraceous Piculet

The ochraceous piculet is about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 8 to 12 g (0.28 to 0.42 oz). Adult males have a black cap with red tips on the forehead feathers and small white spots on the rest of the cap. Adult females are identical but for no red on the forehead. The species' upperparts vary from grayish to brownish with a whitish nape. Their underparts vary from whitish yellow to rusty brown, sometimes with paler streaks. Both the upper- and underparts' colors form a cline, with the lightest members in the north and darkest in the south. Voice: The ochraceous piculet's vocalizations vary little if at all among populations. Its song is generally a "series of high-pitched, fast trills starting with longer, higher frequency phrases and ending with shorter, lower frequency phrases." That of the northern population has been described as "tee-tee-tee-titiwi" and that of the southern ("tawny") population as "see-see-see-sisi-wi".