Bar-bellied Woodpecker

About the Bar-bellied Woodpecker

The bar-bellied woodpecker (Veniliornis nigriceps) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The International Ornithological Committee and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World place the bar-bellied woodpecker in genus Veniliornis. However, starting in 2018, the American Ornithological Society and the Clements taxonomy moved all species of genus Veniliornis into genus Dryobates.

The above taxonomic systems recognize three subspecies, the nominate nigriceps (D'Orbigny, 1840), equifasciatus (Chapman, 1912), and pectoralis (Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1902). The bar-bellied woodpecker is 17 to 20 cm (6.7 to 7.9 in) long and weighs 39 to 46 g (1.4 to 1.6 oz). Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Adults of both sexes of the nominate subspecies have a mostly dark olive-brown face with thin white stripes behind and below the eye. Males are red from forehead to nape with black feather bases showing through. The female has a black crown and a golden nape. Both sexes' mantle and back are dark olive with a bronze tinge... Wikipedia →