Veniliornis kirkii
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The red-rumped woodpecker (Veniliornis kirkii) is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Costa Rica south to Peru and east to Brazil, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The International Ornithological Committee and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World place the red-rumped woodpecker in the genus Veniliornis. However, starting in 2018, the American Ornithological Society and the Clements taxonomy moved all species of the genus Veniliornis into genus Dryobates.
The taxonomic systems agree that the red-rumped woodpecker has these five subspecies: V. (or D.) k. neglectus Bangs, 1901 V. (or D.) k. cecilii (Malherbe, 1849) V. (or D.) k. continentalis Hellmayr, 1906 V. (or D.) k. monticola Hellmayr, 1918
V. (or D.) k. kirkii (Malherbe, 1845) The red-rumped woodpecker is about 15 to 16 cm (5.9 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 30 to 42 g (1.1 to 1.5 oz). Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Males of the nominate subspecies kirkii have a red crown and nape with some dusky brown or dark gray feather tips. The female has a dark brown crown with a tinge... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Ridge Forest Reserve | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 2 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 3 | Coiba National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 7 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 8 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Marino Ballena National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-rumped Woodpecker sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 50 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 135th most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-rumped Woodpecker in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-rumped Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Red-rumped Woodpecker sightings, Darién National Park ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Main Ridge Forest Reserve (Trinidad and Tobago, about 10%), Caroni Swamp (Trinidad and Tobago, about 10%) and Coiba National Park (Panama, about 10%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the Red-rumped Woodpecker that you can see in Darién National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Black-cheeked Woodpecker (about 30%), Cinnamon Woodpecker (about 30%) and Crimson-crested Woodpecker (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-rumped Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (50 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
