Veniliornis spilogaster
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The white-spotted woodpecker (Veniliornis spilogaster) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The International Ornithological Committee and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World place the white-spotted woodpecker in genus Veniliornis. However, starting in 2018, the American Ornithological Society and the Clements taxonomy moved all species of genus Veniliornis into genus Dryobates.
The taxonomic systems agree that the white-spotted woodpecker is monotypic. The white-spotted woodpecker is 16 to 19.5 cm (6.3 to 7.7 in) long and weighs 35 to 45 g (1.2 to 1.6 oz). Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Males have a buffy to olive forehead, a blackish brown crown with very narrow red streaks, and an olive-green hindneck. The female has an olive-brown crown with fine white spots. Adults of both sexes have a mostly brownish face with a thin white supercilium, a thin white "moustache", and white speckles throughout. Their upperparts are mostly olive-green with yellowish to white feather edges that view as... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 3 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Campinas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-spotted Woodpecker sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 518 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 112th most-seen of the 343 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-spotted Woodpecker in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against about 10% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Iguazú National Park's driest months, with about 90 mm of rain against 240 mm in October.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-spotted Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate White-spotted Woodpecker sightings, Iguazú National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, about 30%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the White-spotted Woodpecker that you can see in Iguazú National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Ochre-collared Piculet (about 40%), Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (about 20%) and Blond-crested Woodpecker (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-spotted Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguazú National Park (518 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.
