Cinnamon Woodpecker

The Cinnamon Woodpecker, a vibrant member of the woodpecker family Picidae, graces the forests with its presence. This species, with a length of 19 to 23 cm and a weight of 74 to 83 grams, exhibits a striking rufous plumage adorned with a bushy crest and black streaks on the crown.

Identification Tips

To identify the Cinnamon Woodpecker, look for the distinctive red chin, throat, and malar streaked with black in males, while females display a rufous coloration in these areas. Both sexes boast dark rufous upperparts with narrow black bars, blackish flight feathers with wide rufous bars, and a black tail with buff to whitish bars. The upper breast is light rufous with black-edged feathers, and the underparts are a paler buff with bold black arrowhead-shaped marks. Their medium-long bill ranges from grayish to yellowish, their iris is red, and their legs are gray.

Habitat

This species thrives in the interior of humid to wet forests, occasionally venturing to forest edges, open landscapes like treed pastures, secondary forests, and clearings.

Distribution

The Cinnamon Woodpecker can be found from southeastern Nicaragua through Costa Rica and into western Panama, as well as in Panama, northwestern Colombia, western Colombia's Chocó Department south to Ecuador's Guayas Province, and northern Colombia between the departments of Córdoba and Santander.

Behaviour

As a year-round resident, the Cinnamon Woodpecker typically forages alone or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species feeding flocks. It adapts its foraging height according to the openness of the area, pecking and gleaning to find its prey.

Song & calls

The bird's call is a loud, far-carrying "wheeét!-wheeét-wheet-it," with variations including a "sharp, descending rolling chatter when agitated," "chikikikiít," "tititit-toò," and "chweé-titit." Its drumming is characterized as slow and short.

Breeding

Breeding season for the Cinnamon Woodpecker is from March to May in Costa Rica and January to April in Colombia. Both sexes partake in excavating the nest cavity, typically situated between 6 and 9 meters above ground in a living or recently dead tree.

Diet and Feeding

Ants and termites comprise the primary diet of the Cinnamon Woodpecker, supplemented by fruits such as bananas. It adapts its foraging behavior to the environment, pecking or gleaning to secure its meals.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Cinnamon Woodpecker as Least Concern, with a large range and an estimated population of at least 50,000 mature individuals. Though the population is believed to be decreasing, no immediate threats have been identified. This species is generally uncommon but can be locally fairly common within its range.