<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='360724'>Golden-green Woodpecker
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En bref
- Scientific Name: Piculus chrysochloros
- Spanish Name: Carpintero dorado verdoso
- Family: Picidae
- Known Nicknames: Golden-green Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker
- Average Length: 20–24 cm / 8–9.5 in
- Average Weight: 60–90 g / 2.1–3.2 oz
- Envergure : N/A
- Key Feature: Golden-green upperparts and barred underparts with a yellow crest
- Régime alimentaire principal : Principalement insectivore
- Range: Central and South America from Panama to northern Argentina
- Habitat: Lowland and foothill tropical forests, forest edges, and secondary growth
- Structure sociale : Solitaires ou en couples
- Nesting/Breeding: Tree cavities
- Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
- Évolution démographique : En baisse
The Golden-green Woodpecker (*Piculus chrysochloros*) is a striking avian gem of South American forests, named for its shimmering, olive-gold back and wings that catch the light like metallic scales. This medium-sized woodpecker, measuring about 20–24 cm, is distinguished by a bold, black-and-white barred face and a vibrant red crown and nape in males, while females sport a more subdued grayish head. A unique special feature is its subtle, pale yellow underparts, which contrast with its dark, finely barred chest, and its exceptionally strong, chisel-like bill, perfectly adapted for excavating deep into dead wood to hunt for beetle larvae and ants. Its rhythmic, loud drumming and sharp, nasal calls echo through the canopy, making it a lively indicator of healthy, mature tropical forests from Panama to Argentina.
Faits amusants
Despite its name, the golden-green woodpecker is a master of disguise, its iridescent plumage blending perfectly with sun-dappled leaves to evade predators while it forages. It has a uniquely long, sticky tongue tipped with barbs, which it uses to extract ants and termites from deep crevices with surgical precision. Quirkily, it often engages in “anting,” rubbing ants on its feathers to use the formic acid as a natural insect repellent and fungicide. Additionally, it drums not just on trees but on metallic surfaces like gutters or signs, creating a surprisingly loud, resonant beat to establish territory—a behavior that can baffle homeowners in its range.
Habitats et répartition
This woodpecker inhabits lowland and foothill forests, primarily favoring humid tropical rainforests, gallery forests, and forest edges. It is also found in secondary growth, wooded savannas, and occasionally in coffee plantations or other partially open wooded areas, typically below 1,000 meters in elevation. Its geographical range spans a large portion of central and northern South America, extending from eastern Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas southward through much of the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, with isolated populations also present in eastern Brazil within the Atlantic Forest region.
Comportements & Reproduction
The Golden-green Woodpecker is generally solitary or found in pairs, defending a territory year-round through drumming and vocalizations. Mating pairs form monogamous bonds for at least a single breeding season, with courtship involving mutual tapping, chases, and ritualized head-swaying displays. Both sexes excavate a nest cavity in a dead tree or palm, typically 3–20 meters above ground, and the female lays 2–4 white eggs. Unique among many woodpeckers, both parents share incubation duties, which last about 14–16 days, and continue to cooperatively feed the altricial young for several weeks after fledging. There is no evidence of cooperative breeding or helpers at the nest, and pairs typically raise only one brood per season, though they may re-nest if the first attempt fails.
Alimentation
The Golden-green Woodpecker is primarily insectivorous, with a diet heavily centered on ants and termites, which it extracts from tree bark and rotting wood using its long, barbed tongue. It also consumes other arthropods like beetles, their larvae, and spiders, often foraging by gleaning from trunks and branches rather than extensive drilling. An interesting fact is that it occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits and berries, particularly during the non-breeding season when insect prey may be less abundant, and it has been observed attending army ant swarms to capture flushed insects. Additionally, like many woodpeckers, it will consume sap from tree wounds, though this is a minor component of its feeding habits.
Couleurs
The Golden-green Woodpecker has an olive-green back and wings, with a bright golden-yellow crown and nape in males (females have a green crown). Its underparts are barred black and white, creating a ladder-like pattern, and the face is pale with a black malar stripe. This barred belly provides disruptive camouflage against tree trunks, while the green upperparts blend with foliage.
Distribution Map
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