Yellow-tufted Woodpecker!

A common but also a secretive bird: the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker.

The most recognizable woodpeckers are the large and visible ones; the Red-necked, the Lineated and the Crimson-crested Woodpecker. Their appearance makes sure that they are spotted easily, but there are also other and smaller ones to be seen in Kabalebo. One of them is the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus). 

The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is a medium size woodpecker with a lenght of approximately 20 cm. They are also terrorial birds often seen on hiking trails or (quite easy) at the River cabin of Kabalebo. Silently they search on the tree barks for insects, but you really have to look for them otherwise it is possible that you may miss them. 

Besides insects they also like fruits, seeds and sweet sap of the trees.

As seen in the picture above the majority of their plumage is black. Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers can also be described as a clown-like woodpecker thanks to the yellow rings around its eyes, giving them the clown like appearance. 

When spotted one always check if the other partner is nearby as they always travel in pairs. 

Yellow-tufted Woodpeckers are common birds seen in Kabalebo.

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Woodpeckers in Kabalebo!