Piculus flavigula (Boddaert, 1783)

Taxonomy and Size

The yellow-throated woodpecker (Piculus flavigula, first described by Boddaert in 1783) measures 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) in length and weighs 44 to 63 g (1.6 to 2.2 oz).

Plumage Sexual Dimorphism

Males and females share the same plumage outside of the head region.

Nominate Male Head Plumage

For the nominate subspecies P. f. flavigula, males have red plumage from the forehead to the hindneck, as well as on the malar (cheek) area; black feather bases are visible through the red in the forehead to hindneck region. The rest of the head, including the chin and throat, is bright golden-yellow.

Nominate Female Head Plumage

Females of this subspecies only have red on the nape; the rest of the crown is golden-yellow with green feather tips, and the head matches the male's pattern otherwise.

Nominate Upperpart Plumage

Adult nominate yellow-throated woodpeckers have yellowish green upperparts that are brighter on the shoulders and back. Their flight feathers are mostly brownish black, with cinnamon patches on the inner webs.

Nominate Tail Plumage

Their tail is black, with greenish edges along the feathers.

Nominate Underpart Plumage

Their underparts are green; breast feathers have whitish centers and black tips, while the belly and undertail coverts look barred or scaly with black markings.

Nominate Bare Part Features

They have a relatively short black beak with a paler base, a brown iris, and dark green-gray legs.

Juvenile Plumage

Juveniles have duller, greener upperparts than adults and a yellow throat, but are darker on their underparts than adults. Male juveniles may have a small red patch on the crown, while female juveniles have an entirely green crown.

Subspecies P. f. magnus Features

Subspecies P. f. magnus is identical to the nominate subspecies except that the male does not have a red malar area.

Subspecies P. f. erythropis Male Plumage

Subspecies P. f. erythropis differs noticeably from the other two subspecies: it is smaller, males have more extensive red on the crown, and the red coloring of the malar region extends under the chin and throat as well.

Subspecies P. f. erythropis Female Plumage

Females of this subspecies have a golden-yellow forecrown, malar area, and throat, but also have some red on the throat.

Subspecies P. f. erythropis Underpart Plumage

For both sexes of P. f. erythropis, the underparts are more barred than spotted or scaly.

Subspecies Ranges

The three subspecies of yellow-throated woodpecker have separate ranges: P. f. flavigula occurs in extreme eastern Colombia, extending east through southern Venezuela and the Guianas, and south into northern Brazil; P. f. magnus is found from southeastern Colombia south through eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru into northern Bolivia, and east into western Brazil; P. f. erythropis occurs separately in Pernambuco state of eastern Brazil, and between the states of Bahia and São Paulo in southeastern Brazil.

General Habitat

The yellow-throated woodpecker lives in the interior and edges of mature terra firme and várzea forests.

P. f. erythropis Habitat

Subspecies P. f. erythropis is mostly found in drier caatinga habitat.

Elevation Range

This is a lowland species; its elevation ranges from sea level in the Guianas and Brazil up to 300 m (1,000 ft) in Ecuador, and up to 500 m (1,600 ft) in Peru.