Automatically translated. This page was translated automatically from German and has not been reviewed by our editors.Show original
Birds
Pale-billed woodpecker
Pale-billed woodpecker · Campephilus guatemalensis
Impressive pale-billed woodpecker with red crest and pale bill – spot it drumming in the treetops of old forests
Fact file
- Size
- Up to 36 cm long, a conspicuously large woodpecker with a strong, pale bill
- Males and females
- Both sexes have a red crest, females lack the red eye stripe
- Sounds
- Loud drumming, clear, nasal calls like “piik-piik”
- Diet
- It mainly searches for insect larvae, beetles and ants in rotten wood
- Offspring
- Usually breeds from March to July, laying 2 to 3 white eggs in tree cavities
How to identify Pale-billed woodpecker
The pale-billed woodpecker has a striking appearance: its plumage is mostly black with conspicuous white stripes on the wings and underside. The pale bill that gives the species its name stands out clearly from the bright red crest, which glows particularly intensely in adult birds.
At up to 36 centimetres in length, the pale-billed woodpecker is one of the largest woodpeckers in Central America. Its powerful silhouette with short neck and upright posture on tree trunks is unmistakable. In flight, the pale-billed woodpecker is distinctive with broad wings and a characteristic undulating pattern. There is no real risk of confusing it with any local species – the clearly pale bill is its most reliable field mark.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 3 places where you can see Pale-billed woodpecker
Where Pale-billed woodpecker live
Discover Pale-billed woodpecker on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
