Rufous-headed woodpecker – Here in Tambopata we are a refuge for rare birds
07 December 2025 (524 visits)Among the more than 600 bird species that live in our protected forests, the rufous-headed woodpecker (Celeus spectabilis) is one of the species that dedicated birdwatchers really hope to see. Although it is a shy bird, and difficult to spot, with a little luck it can be seen by our guests in or around the dense bamboo thickets that form one of the eight ecosystems of Tambopata, during the Amazon jungle trips we offer.
The rufous-headed woodpecker is a medium-sized bird, around 28 centimeters (11 inches) long, and weighing approximately 110 grams (4 ounces). Guests to our lodge lucky enough to see this bird –like those who accompanied the local guide who took this photograph- will find that its appearance is unmistakable. The male has bright red patches on its cheeks, a spiky red crown, and a dark-brown or black and cream body, while the equally distinctive female lacks only the red cheek patches.
While the rufous-headed woodpecker is a year-round resident in Tambopata and the other parts of its range across the Amazon basin of South America, patience and some good luck are needed to spot this remarkable bird. When it is not seen, it can often be heard from areas of forest bordering bamboo stands, as it drums steadily on the bamboo.
The rufous-headed woodpecker feeds on insects, including its preferred bamboo ants and termites, foraging alone or in pairs, across multiple levels of forest vegetation. Its pecking at trunks is a strategy designed to cause its prey to reveal itself.
Because it is such an elusive bird, mostly favoring very dense vegetation, little is known about its nest-building or other breeding habits, and although the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as of Least Concern, this is due to its wide range, rather than any reliable data regarding its actual numbers.
