Small Yungas woodpecker approximately 17 cm long, with finely barred underparts. It has a dark olive back with numerous pale spots and streaks that give it a scaled appearance. The throat and underparts are dark gray to olive-gray, finely barred with whitish. The face is pale, with slightly streaked whitish cheeks and a thin pale superciliary line. The male has a red crown and nape, while the female has an olive-brown crown with small pale spots and lacks red coloration. The iris is dark brown, the bill is dark gray to blackish, relatively long and straight, and the legs are dark gray. Juveniles are duller and grayer than adults.
It can be readily distinguished from the Olive-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates fumigatus) by its strongly barred and spotted back and underparts, whereas that species has much more uniform plumage. It can also be separated from the Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus) by its smaller size, the absence of a broad whitish face, and by the male having a completely red crown and the female a dark crown, instead of the characteristic black-and-red pattern shown by that species.
Geographic Distribution: Distributed along the Andes of central Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, where it inhabits the Yungas of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, and Catamarca. It occurs between approximately 800 and 2,200 m above sea level, although locally it may be found outside this range. During the non-breeding season, it performs altitudinal movements toward lower elevations.
Habitat: A typical species of the Yungas, inhabiting montane rainforest, montane forest, and transitional environments between different elevational zones. It frequents areas with abundant tree cover, forest edges, humid ravines, and areas with mature trees. It primarily uses the middle and lower vegetation strata, often moving near the ground on trunks, branches, and small trees.
Diet: Feeds mainly on arthropods, especially wood-boring beetles and their larvae, as well as other insects associated with bark and wood. It forages at low heights, exploring trunks, thin branches, and areas close to the ground. It occasionally supplements its diet with fruits. It feeds alone, in pairs, or as part of mixed-species flocks.
Behavior: Usually observed alone or in pairs. It is an active woodpecker that often forages at lower heights than other Yungas woodpeckers, moving slowly along trunks and small branches while inspecting the bark. It frequently remains concealed within dense vegetation and, because of its small size and discreet habits, is often detected first by its vocalizations rather than by direct observation. It gives slow, repeated series of sharp, dry notes, as well as loud, piercing isolated calls.
Breeding: Uses cavities excavated in living or dead trees for nesting. Both members of the pair participate in incubation and chick feeding. Available information on its breeding biology is scarce; one of the few documented nests for the species was located in a cavity about 3 m above the ground and contained two nestlings.
Conservation Status: Considered Least Concern (LC) internationally. In Argentina, it has no national threat category and occurs in several protected areas of the Yungas, including Aconquija, Calilegua, and El Rey National Parks. Although it is one of the most common woodpeckers in the Yungas, it remains a poorly studied species.
Author of this Compilation: María Belén Dri and Diego Carús – 06/22/2026