<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='359654'>Green-barred Woodpecker

Open Bird Bucket List ↗

En bref

  • Scientific Name: Colaptes melanochloros
  • Spanish Name: Carpintero barrado
  • Family: Picidae
  • Known Nicknames: Green-barred Flicker, Golden-breasted Woodpecker
  • Average Length: 28–34 cm / 11–13 in
  • Average Weight: 100–140 g / 3.5–5 oz
  • Wingspan: 45–55 cm / 18–22 in
  • Key Feature: Green-barred back and wings with a black crescent on the breast
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Insectivore (ants, termites, beetles)
  • Range: Central and eastern South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay)
  • Habitat: Open woodlands, savannas, forest edges, and cultivated areas
  • Structure sociale : Solitaires ou en couples
  • Nesting/Breeding: Tree cavities excavated by both parents
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Green-barred Woodpecker (*Colaptes melanochloros*) is a striking bird of South American woodlands, easily recognized by its olive-green back barred with black, a pale buff underbelly spotted with dark chevrons, and a distinctive golden-yellow nape and throat. Its most unique characteristic is its behavior: unlike many woodpeckers that drill into trees for insects, this species often forages on the ground, using its long, sticky tongue to snatch ants and termites from the soil. A special feature is the male’s red crown patch, contrasting with the female’s all-black cap, while both sexes share a powerful, chisel-like bill and a stiff tail used for bracing against trunks. This adaptable and noisy bird adds a flash of color and a lively, laughing call to savannas, forests, and even urban parks.

Faits amusants

Unlike most woodpeckers that drum only on trees, the Green-barred Woodpecker often forages on the ground like a flicker, using its long, sticky tongue to snatch ants and termites from underground nests. It has a quirky habit of occasionally perching vertically on fence posts and emitting a loud, laughing “kee-kee-kee” call that sounds almost like a human cackle. A unique adaptation is its slightly curved bill, which is ideal for prying into soil and rotting wood, and it will sometimes use its tail feathers as a prop while hanging upside-down to probe crevices. During courtship, pairs perform a bobbing dance where they sway their heads in a synchronized, almost comical pendulum motion before mating.

Habitats et répartition

The Green-barred Woodpecker is found across central and eastern South America, with its range extending from southern and eastern Brazil, through eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and into northern Argentina. It inhabits a variety of open to semi-open wooded environments, including gallery forests, cerrado savanna, palm groves, wooded savannas, and the edges of lowland forests. It also adapts well to human-modified landscapes such as plantations, parks, and suburban gardens, provided there are scattered trees and dead wood for foraging. It typically avoids dense, humid rainforest interiors, favoring instead lighter, more transitional habitats.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Green-barred Woodpecker is generally observed in monogamous pairs, which maintain and defend a territory year-round. Their social structure is simple, with the bonded pair working cooperatively to excavate nest cavities in dead trees or large cacti. Mating involves mutual tapping and vocal duets to reinforce the pair bond. A unique reproductive strategy is their reliance on a soft bed of wood chips within the cavity rather than bringing in external nesting material. Clutch sizes are typically 3-5 white eggs, and both parents share incubation duties for about 14 days, with the male often taking the night shift. The young are altricial and are fed by both adults through regurgitation until they fledge.

Alimentation

The Green-barred Woodpecker is primarily insectivorous, with a diet heavily focused on ants and their larvae, which it extracts by hammering into rotting wood, dead branches, and termite mounds. It also consumes beetles, caterpillars, and other arthropods, often foraging on the ground or low on tree trunks. An interesting fact is that it uses its long, sticky tongue, which is barbed at the tip, to spear and pull prey from deep crevices, and it occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits and berries, especially during colder months when insects are scarce.

Couleurs

The Green-barred Woodpecker displays a black-and-white barred back and wings, a pale yellowish belly with dark spots, and a grayish head with a red nape patch in males. Its most distinctive feature is the bright olive-green barring on its upperparts, which provides effective camouflage against tree bark. The tail is black with white outer feathers, and the face has a subtle dark eye stripe.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.

Use the map filter to show only featured places.

Featured places