The Story
I photographed this Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) at the Reserva Natural El Danubio, near Morelia, Caquetá, Colombia, in January 2021. Its range covers eastern Colombia, western and southern Venezuela, the Guianas, northern and central Brazil and eastern Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, from sea level to about 1,200 meters. Males have a red fore-crown and mid-crown, which are black in females. It is social and often forages in groups, eating mainly insects, some caught in flight, and fruit. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11 plus the RF 1.4x extender, at 1/1000 sec, f/16, ISO 3200, −1.5 EV. The reserve also offers tubing down the river to Morelia, ethnic tourism with a Murui Muina guide, stingless-bee tastings and certificates for the trees visitors plant.
©2021 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