Birds of Venezuela

    PICIFORMES: Picidae (Woodpeckers)  
Genus: Picumnus (6 species, 25 worldwide)

Piculets (genus Picumnus) are small sparrow-sized woodpeckers. Males generally have red or yellow spots on the head.


Chestnut Piculet
Chestnut Piculet (Picumnus cinnamomeus cinnamomeus)
Los Flamencos Wildlife Sanctuary, Camarones, La Guajira, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Found in arid forest and desert scrub.

Golden-spangled Piculet
Golden-spangled Piculet (Picumnus exilis) Male
Inírida, Guainía, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Golden-spangled Piculet
Golden-spangled Piculet (Picumnus exilis) Female
Inírida, Guainía, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Note golden dots on the back.


Olivaceous Piculet
Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) Male
Manantiales del Campo, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Note streaking in front.
A greyish individual, but streaking on front and range indicates Olivaceous and not Greyish.
Female with a mouth full of maggots.

Orinoco Piculet
Orinoco Piculet (Picumnus pumilus) Male
Mitu, Vaupes, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.

Similar to Golden-spangled Piculet, but without any spots on back.

White-bellied Piculet
White-bellied Piculet (Picumnus spilogaster orinocensis) Vulnerable
Los Güires, Delta Amacuro state, Venezuela  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.


Scaled Piculet
Scaled Piculet (Picumnus squamulatus)
Minca, Magdalena, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Scaled Piculet
Scaled Piculet (Picumnus squamulatus obsoletus)
Tucupita, Venezuela
  A different and confusing subspecies.
   
Photograph by David Ascanio - www.abtbirds.com   © All Rights Reserved.



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