Celeus flavescens (J.F.Gmelin, 1788)

Scientific Name

Celeus flavescens (J.F.Gmelin, 1788) Common name: Blond-crested woodpecker

Size Measurements

The blond-crested woodpecker measures approximately 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) in length. The nominate subspecies weighs between 110 and 165 g (3.9 to 5.8 oz).

Sexual Dimorphism

Males of both subspecies have a wide, bright red malar area and cheek; this red marking sometimes extends around the eye and occasionally includes the lower forehead. Females have black streaks rather than red on the malar and cheek, and no red anywhere else on their head.

Nominate Subspecies Head Plumage

For the nominate subspecies, adult birds of both sexes have a pale creamy buff to yellowish white head, including the long, pointed crest, chin, and throat. The side of the neck often has black streaks.

Nominate Upperbody Plumage

Adults have a black mantle and upper back, while the lower back, rump, and uppertail coverts are buffish white to pale yellow; the uppertail coverts sometimes have black bars. Their flight feathers are black with narrow white bars, and some flight feathers have white tips.

Nominate Wing and Tail Plumage

Their wing coverts have alternating black and white bars. Their tail feathers are black, with whitish edges or bars on the outermost pair.

Nominate Underbody Plumage

Their lower neck and underparts are black, with faint pale barring on the flanks and undertail coverts. Their thighs are pale yellow to buffish, marked with black spots or streaks.

Nominate Bare Parts

The adult's bill is horn-colored, or sometimes blue-gray to black, with a paler lower mandible; the iris is red or red-brown, and the legs are blue-gray. Juveniles resemble adults but are duller in color and have more black on the face.

C. f. intercedens Traits

Subspecies C. f. intercedens has whitish to buff-white coloration on the head and lower back, and sometimes has some rufous coloring in the flight feathers.

Vocalizations

The main call of the blond-crested woodpecker is a resonant loud 'tsew' or 'wee' that is repeated up to seven times. The species also produces a well-spaced series of 'wheep' notes, an aggressive 'tttrrr', and a raucous 'wícket wícket'.

Drumming

Its drumming consists of weak, evenly pitched short rolls.

C. f. intercedens Range

Of the two recognized subspecies, C. f. intercedens occupies the more northerly range. It occurs in western Bahia, Goiás, and Minas Gerais in east-central Brazil.

Nominate Subspecies Range

The nominate subspecies is found to the southeast of C. f. intercedens' range, from southern Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, extending into eastern Paraguay and the Misiones Province of Argentina.

Habitat

The species inhabits the interior and edges of humid forest, as well as gallery forest, savanna, caatinga, and orchards.