- Picumnus rufiventris
Identification
9-11cm (3½-4¼ in). A tiny woodpecker.
- Black forehead to nape with white to buff spots, male with red spots on crown
- White lores and nasal tufts tipped black
- Rufous to cinnamon-rufous rest of head, ear-coverts often darker
- Dark green upperparts tinged rufous, dark brown upperwing
- Plain rufous underparts
Juveniles are greyer.
Similar species
Differs from Chestnut Piculet in dark forehead, red on crown (not yellow) and greener upperparts.
Distribution
Found east of the Andes from Colombia south to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and into western Brazil.
Fairly common in Colombia, rare in other parts of its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Three subspecies recognized[1]:
- P. r. rufiventris from central and southern Colombia to eastern Ecuador, northeast Peru and western Amazonian Brazil
- P. r. grandis in east-central Peru and adjacent Brazil
- P. r. brunneifrons in northwest and central Bolivia
Habitat
Moist lowland forest. Typically in stands of bamboo.
Occurs from lowlands up to 400m, locally higher.
Behaviour
Diet
Little information about diet. The have been observed eating ants and larvae. Forages in mixed-species flocks, in pairs or singly.
Breeding
Breeding season from January to March in Peru and Bolivia, probably later in Ecuador. No other information.
Movements
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 2002. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334375
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Jan 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Rufous-breasted Piculet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-breasted_Piculet
