Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Crimson-crested WoodpeckerCrimson-crested WoodpeckerCrimson-crested WoodpeckerCrimson-crested Woodpecker

Crimson-crested Woodpecker

Campephilus melanoleucos

Silhouette: Arthur A. Allen (modified) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
1,853 Verified sightings at Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve From 2019 to 2026
11,436 Verified sightings across all 34 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Crimson-crested Woodpecker

The crimson-crested woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Panama, Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

The crimson-crested woodpecker was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other woodpeckers in the genus Picus and coined the binomial name Picus melanoleucos. The specific epithet melanoleucos combines the Ancient Greek melas meaning "black" with leukos meaning "white". Gmelin based his description on the "buff-crested woodpecker" from Surinam that had been described and illustrated in 1782 by the English ornithologist John Latham from a specimen in the Leverian Museum in London.

The crimson-crested woodpecker was for a time placed in genus Scapaneus but this was merged into the genus Phloeoceastes by James Peters in 1948. The genus Phloeoceastes was itself merged into the current genus Campephilus by Lester Short in 1982. The crimson-crested woodpecker has three subspecies:

C. m. malherbii... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Red-necked Woodpecker
LC

Red-necked Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campephilus rubricollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
LC

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes cruentatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Cream-colored Woodpecker
LC

Cream-colored Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Celeus flavus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Lineated Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryocopus lineatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Chestnut Woodpecker
LC

Chestnut Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Celeus elegans

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Spot-breasted Woodpecker
LC

Spot-breasted Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colaptes punctigula

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Little Woodpecker

Little Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Veniliornis passerinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Waved Woodpecker
LC

Waved Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Celeus undatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Ringed Woodpecker
LC

Ringed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Celeus torquatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Lafresnaye's Piculet
LC

Lafresnaye's Piculet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Picumnus lafresnayi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rufous-headed Woodpecker
LC

Rufous-headed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Celeus spectabilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-stained Woodpecker

Red-stained Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Veniliornis affinis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~40%
2 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~40%
3 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
5 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
6 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
7 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
8 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
9 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
10 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
11 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
12 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
13 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
14 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
15 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
16 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
17 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
18 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
19 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
20 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
21 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
22 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
23 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
24 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
25 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
26 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
27 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
28 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
29 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
30 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
31 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
32 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
33 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
34 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Crimson-crested Woodpecker in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Crimson-crested Woodpecker sighting in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, based on 1,853 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Crimson-crested Woodpecker in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve?

March has the highest sighting rate for Crimson-crested Woodpecker in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in our monthly data.

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