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Red-crowned Woodpecker

Melanerpes rubricapillus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWoodlandCavity nestSmall · 52 g
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 1
Photo: Thomas Junier · Public domain
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 2
Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 3
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 4
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 5
Photo: Cristóbal Alvarado Minic from Cagua, Venezuela · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 6
Photo: Melanerpes_rubricapillus_rubricapillus_male.jpg: Cristóbal Alvarado Minic from Cagua, Venezuela derivative work: Berichard (talk) · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 7
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 8
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 9
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus), photo 10
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0

ID tip

The red-crowned woodpecker is 16 to 18.5 cm (6.3 to 7.3 in) long and weighs 40 to 65 g (1.4 to 2.3 oz). The sexes' plumage is alike except for their head pattern. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a pale yellow to whitish forehead, a bright red crown, and an orange-red nape and hindneck. Adult females have the same pale yellow to whitish forehead but a pale gray-buff to whitish crown and a reddish to orange-red nape and hindneck. Both sexes' cheeks, chin, and throat are grayish-buff.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Red-crowned Woodpecker

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Red-crowned Woodpecker

Regular range

The map shades 6 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Colombia Panama Venezuela Costa Rica Trinidad & Tobago Suriname

About the Red-crowned Woodpecker

The red-crowned woodpecker is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Tobago.

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

Easily confused with

Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii) Hoffmann's WoodpeckerMelanerpes hoffmanniiHoffmann's woodpecker is 18 to 21 cm (7.1 to 8.3 in) long and weighs 62 to 84 g (2.2 to 3.0 oz). Black-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani) Black-cheeked WoodpeckerMelanerpes pucheraniThe black-cheeked woodpecker is 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in) long and weighs 42 to 68 g (1.5 to 2.4 oz). Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) Lewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewisOne of the largest species of American woodpeckers, Lewis's woodpecker can measure up to 10–11 inches (25–28 cm) in length.

Side by side: Golden-fronted Woodpecker vs Red-crowned Woodpecker · Gila Woodpecker vs Red-crowned Woodpecker · Hoffmann's Woodpecker vs Red-crowned Woodpecker · Black-cheeked Woodpecker vs Red-crowned Woodpecker · Lewis's Woodpecker vs Red-crowned Woodpecker

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