Campephilus rubricollis (Boddaert, 1783)

Size and Weight

The red-necked woodpecker (Campephilus rubricollis) is around 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 inches) long, and weighs 178 to 236 g (6.3 to 8.3 oz).

Nominate Subspecies Upperparts

For the nominate subspecies C. r. rubricollis, both sexes have black to brownish black upperparts. The upper surface of their wings is black, with rufous coloring on the inner vanes of the flight feathers.

Nominate Subspecies Wing Underside

The underside of their wings is rufous, with a blackish trailing edge and blackish feather tips.

Nominate Subspecies Tail

Their tail is black on the upper side and brownish black on the lower side.

Nominate Subspecies Underparts

Their underparts have bright red coloring on the breast, which shifts to rufous to rufous cinnamon toward the vent.

Adult Male Head Markings

Adult males have fully red heads and necks, with a small black and white spot on the ear coverts.

Adult Female Head Markings

Adult females lack this spot on the ear coverts, and instead have a wide whitish stripe with black edges that runs from the bill to the ear coverts.

Bill Characteristics

Their bill is a long, chisel-shaped structure that is pale grayish white to ivory in color.

Iris and Leg Color

Their iris is yellowish white, and their legs are blackish gray or olive.

Juvenile Appearance

Juveniles look similar to adults, but are duller and browner overall, and their red-colored areas are more orange than red.

Subspecies C. r. trachelopyrus Traits

Subspecies C. r. trachelopyrus is larger and darker than the nominate subspecies. Its underparts are more chestnut than red, and the upper side of its wing has more rufous coloring than the nominate.

Subspecies C. r. olallae Traits

Subspecies C. r. olallae is intermediate in size between the other two subspecies. Its coloration is also intermediate: its red and rufous coloring is brighter than that of trachelopyrus, but less bright than that of the nominate.

Nominate Subspecies Range

The three subspecies have separate ranges: C. r. rubricollis is found in eastern Colombia and eastern Ecuador, extending through southern Venezuela, the Guianas, and into northern Brazil north of the Amazon.

C. r. trachelopyrus Range

C. r. trachelopyrus is found in northeastern Peru, west-central Bolivia, and western Brazil south of the Amazon.

C. r. olallae Range

C. r. olallae is found in Brazil south of the Amazon, between the Madeira River and the Atlantic coast in Maranhão, extending south to Mato Grosso and central Bolivia.

Habitat Types

The red-necked woodpecker is native to the Amazon Basin, where it lives in rainforest, terra firme forest, and várzea forest.

Habitat Preferences

It generally prefers the interior of forests, but also occurs at forest edges, in secondary forest, and in woodland growing along watercourses in savannah areas.

Elevation Range

Most of its range lies between sea level and 600 m (2,000 ft) in elevation, though it can reach 1,800 m (5,900 ft) locally in southern Venezuela and northwestern Brazil, and up to 2,400 m (7,900 ft) in Bolivia.