Splendid woodpecker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Splendid woodpecker
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Piciformes
Family:	Picidae
Genus:	Campephilus
Species:	C. splendens
Binomial name
Campephilus splendens Hargitt, 1889
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The splendid woodpecker (Campephilus splendens) is a type of bird that belongs to the woodpecker family. It lives in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. For a long time, many scientists thought it was the same as the crimson-bellied woodpecker. However, some experts now believe it is its own separate species.

About the Splendid Woodpecker

How Scientists Classify It

For many years, the splendid woodpecker was seen as a subspecies of the crimson-bellied woodpecker. This means scientists thought it was just a different group within the same species.

Around the year 2000, some experts started to think that the splendid woodpecker should be its own species. By 2018, a group called BirdLife International agreed with this idea. In 2023, the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) also decided to treat it as a separate species.

However, not all groups agree. The South American Classification Committee (SACC) and the Clements taxonomy still consider it a subspecies. The SACC is thinking about changing its mind, though.

What It Looks Like

The splendid woodpecker is about 33 to 35 centimeters (13 to 14 inches) long. It weighs between 225 and 250 grams (7.9 to 8.8 ounces).

Both male and female splendid woodpeckers have a red forehead, the top of their head, and the back of their neck. They have a thin black line above their eye and a thin, light-colored stripe behind the eye. A wider black band goes from their nose, through the eye, and connects to the red on their neck. Their chin and upper throat are black.

• Males: Have a wide, light-colored band between the black eye band and their chin.
• Females: The light-colored band extends down the side of their neck to their upper chest.

Both sexes have black or brownish-black feathers on their shoulders and upper back. Their lower back and rump are a deep red. Their tail feathers are black. The top of their wings is black with three white spots on most of the flight feathers. The underside of their wings is dark with light stripes. Their lower throat and upper chest are red, and their belly is red with dark stripes.

Young woodpeckers look similar to adults but are duller and browner. They have a sooty (dark gray) forehead and less red on their underside.

Where It Lives and Its Home

The splendid woodpecker can be found in several places:

• Panama: Along the entire Caribbean coast and in Panamá Province on the Pacific side.
• Colombia: Through the western parts.
• Ecuador: In western areas.

This woodpecker mostly lives deep inside humid and wet forests. It also likes montane forests, which are forests found in mountains. Sometimes, it can be seen at the edge of these forests.

It lives at different heights depending on the country:

• Panama: From near sea level up to 1,600 meters (5,200 feet).
• Colombia: Up to 1,100 meters (3,600 feet).
• Ecuador: Up to about 800 meters (2,600 feet).

Splendid Woodpecker Behavior

Movement

The splendid woodpecker stays in the same area all year long. It does not migrate to different places.

Feeding Habits

This woodpecker mainly eats adult beetles and their larvae (young insects). It also eats other insects. It usually looks for food near the ground on the trunks of large trees. It uses its strong beak to hammer and probe the wood to find its prey. It often forages alone or in pairs.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Scientists believe the splendid woodpecker's breeding season happens at different times in different places:

• Panama: From March to May.
• Colombia and Ecuador: From September to April.

Not much else is known about how this woodpecker raises its young.

Sounds It Makes

The splendid woodpecker has a unique song and call:

• Song: It makes a loud, harsh, and squeaky "eer" sound that it repeats.
• Call: It has a loud "stk" sound.
• Drumming: It drums on trees with a fast, heavy double tap.

Conservation Status

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the splendid woodpecker as Near Threatened. This means it could become endangered in the future.

Even though it lives in a large area, scientists do not know exactly how many splendid woodpeckers there are. They believe its population is decreasing.

Some of the things that threaten this woodpecker include:

• Heavy logging (cutting down trees).
• People building homes in its habitat.
• Cattle grazing (farm animals eating plants in its habitat).
• Mining activities.
• Growing certain crops like coca and palm.

The splendid woodpecker is considered rare in Panama. It is rare to uncommon in Colombia and rare to locally uncommon in Ecuador. Luckily, it lives in at least one protected area in both Colombia and Ecuador, which helps keep it safe.