White-spotted Woodpecker

About the White-spotted Woodpecker

The white-spotted woodpecker (Veniliornis spilogaster) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The International Ornithological Committee and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World place the white-spotted 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 taxonomic systems agree that the white-spotted woodpecker is monotypic. The white-spotted woodpecker is 16 to 19.5 cm (6.3 to 7.7 in) long and weighs 35 to 45 g (1.2 to 1.6 oz). Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Males have a buffy to olive forehead, a blackish brown crown with very narrow red streaks, and an olive-green hindneck. The female has an olive-brown crown with fine white spots. Adults of both sexes have a mostly brownish face with a thin white supercilium, a thin white "moustache", and white speckles throughout. Their upperparts are mostly olive-green with yellowish to white feather edges that view as... Wikipedia →