Celeus loricatus (Reichenbach, 1854)

Size

The cinnamon woodpecker (Celeus loricatus) measures about 19 to 23 cm (7.5 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 74 to 83 g (2.6 to 2.9 oz).

Sexual Plumage Dimorphism

Males and females share identical plumage except for markings on the face. Both sexes have rufous heads with a bushy crest and black streaks on the crown. Males have a red chin, throat, and malar region marked with black streaks, while females have the same rufous color in these areas as the rest of the head.

Nominate Subspecies Upperparts

For adult nominate subspecies (C. l. loricatus) of both sexes, the upperparts are dark rufous with narrow black bars. Their flight feathers are blackish with wide rufous bars. The upperside of the tail is black with wide buff to whitish bars.

Nominate Subspecies Underparts

Their upper breast is light rufous, with black edges and tips on the feathers; the rest of their underparts are paler buff with bold black arrowhead-shaped markings.

Nominate Subspecies Soft Parts

They have a medium-long grayish to yellowish bill, a red iris, and gray legs.

Juvenile Plumage

Juveniles are very similar to adults, but have dusky mottling on the throat and irregular markings on the underparts.

Subspecies C. l. diversus Traits

Subspecies C. l. diversus is the largest. It has more red and less black on the throat, and is a darker cinnamon color than the nominate subspecies. It also has narrow black bars on the upperparts, more widely spaced markings on the underparts, and a yellower bill.

Subspecies C. l. mentalis Traits

C. l. mentalis is similar to diversus, but paler, with less barring on both the upperparts and underparts.

Subspecies C. l. innotatus Traits

C. l. innotatus is even paler than mentalis, with weak or no barring on the upperparts and plain or lightly spotted underparts.

Subspecies Distribution

The subspecies of the cinnamon woodpecker have separate ranges: C. l. diversus is found from southeastern Nicaragua through Costa Rica into western Panama; C. l. mentalis lives in Panama and extreme northwestern Colombia; C. l. innotatus ranges from Chocó Department in western Colombia south to Guayas Province in Ecuador; and C. l. loricatus occurs in northern Colombia between the departments of Córdoba and Santander.

Habitat

The cinnamon woodpecker mostly lives in the interior of humid to wet forest, and only occurs rarely in drier areas. It is occasionally found along forest edges and in more open landscapes including treed pastures, secondary forest, and clearings.

Elevation Range

In terms of elevation, it ranges from sea level to 760 m (2,500 ft) in Costa Rica and Panama, up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in Colombia, and up to 800 m (2,600 ft) in Ecuador.