Bird species profile
Green-barred Woodpecker
Colaptes melanochloros
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
About the species
The Green-barred Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker native to South America, including the Patagonian region. Recognizable by its greenish back with yellow barring and a red crown in males, this species is more often seen on the ground than on tree trunks. It uses its long, sticky tongue to extract ants and termites from soil and decaying wood. Its loud, laughing call is a familiar sound in open woodlands, savannas, and even gardens. Adaptable and resourceful, the Green-barred Woodpecker plays an important role in controlling insect populations and is a common sight across much of its range.
Habitat
Open woodlands, savannas, forest edges, shrublands, and sometimes gardens throughout Patagonia.
Foraging
Feeds mainly on the ground, probing for ants and termites with its long tongue.
