The Story
This female Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) was at La Macarena, Meta, Colombia when I photographed it. Adults are mainly black above, with a red crest and whitish lines from the bill down the neck. Its call is a loud, ringing wic-wic-wic. It is widespread but wary. It is most easily confused with the Crimson-crested Woodpecker, which is similar in plumage and size. The Sierra de la Macarena is home to about 420 bird species, along with eight species of primates. La Macarena is part of the Sierra de la Macarena and of the Macarena Special Management Area, which brings together several protected areas.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400. IUCN lists the Lineated Woodpecker as Least Concern, with an increasing population.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) 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 2025), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List