Lineated Woodpecker Gallery

Dryocopus lineatus

The Birds of the World website offers these introductory words about the Lineated Woodpecker:  The Lineated Woodpecker is a large, crested woodpecker widespread in forested habitats in the Neotropics. It is black overall, with a brilliant red crest, white barring on the underparts, and a white line extending down the neck. Males have red on the cheek, while females do not. This species resembles several sympatric species of Campephilus woodpecker, but can be distinguished using details of the head and back pattern. They communicate through vocalizations, drumming, and rapping, especially during territory defense; the vocalizations are distinctive, and the sustained, laughing call is a common sound in many areas. It often occurs in pairs that feed on wood-boring arthropods by hammering deep into trunks. Lineated Woodpeckers also include fruit and seeds in the diet. They lay clutches of 2-4 eggs in cavity nests, which are excavated in dead trees by both parents. Lineated Woodpeckers are not globally threatened.

I saw and photographed my first Lineated Woodpecker on the afternoon of August 18, 2023 in the Amazon Basin Region of Brazil.  Our small group with Jeff Parker Tours was at Southwild’s Fazenda São Nicolau in the Amazon Basin.  We were walking around the headquarters area of the lodge when we spotted a Lineated Woodpecker working away on a tree.  Unfortunately I only got one photo before the bird fled the scene.  But I look forward to seeing more of the beautiful bird in the future. For a more detailed description of this day, look here at my blog post on my Brazil trip.  Here is my photo of this colorful bird.