White Woodpecker

Melanerpes candidus

The Birds of the World website introduces the White Woodpecker with this descriptive information: The White Woodpecker is a distinctive inhabitant of lightly wooded savannas and grasslands and forest edge of central South American. It occurs from extreme southeastern Peru east to northeastern Brazil and south to Argentina.  The White Woodpecker has a white head and white underparts, set off with yellow patches on the hindneck and belly; there is a black stripe that extends from the rear of the eye to the mantle; and has black wings and tail.   The White Woodpecker typically forages in groups of 5 to 8 individuals, sometimes in mixed species flocks with members of the woodpecker genus Colaptes.  An arboreal species, the White Woodpecker feeds predominantly on fruits and seeds, but will also feed on insects.  White Woodpeckers occasionally open bee nests to get at the honey and insects within.     

I met my first White Woodpecker on Saturday afternoon, August 26, 2023.  Our Jeff Parker Tour group was staying at Southwild’s Jaguar Flotel and on this afternoon we were on a boat excursion exploring neary waterways when we spotted this bird, perched in a small tree near the channel we were exploring.  For details of my Brazilian trip that include the sighting of this bird, look here.  Below are a couple of my photos of this cute little Woodpecker.

The very next day (August 27, 2023) while out on another boat excursion we found a tree with a White Woodpecker nest and got some very good looks at a pair of birds hanging around the tree.  Here are a few of my photos from that day.