The Story
I photographed this Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) at Hostal Huaca Huaca, in the vereda San José del Pepino near Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia. It is found from eastern Colombia and Venezuela through the Guianas to Brazil, eastern Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Its rump is white, which shows in flight, and its tail is black. The male has a red forecrown and midcrown, while the female has black there. It is social and often forages in groups, eating mainly insects, some caught on the wing, and fruit. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 12800. Huaca Huaca Hostel, in the vereda San José del Pepino, offers birdwatching and sits on the way to the trail for the Fin del Mundo waterfall.
©2022 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) belongs to the family Picidae (Woodpeckers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
