Magellanic Woodpecker

Magellanic Woodpecker

Campephilus magellanicus

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Tierra del Fuego National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

689 Verified sightings at Tierra del Fuego National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,344 In all 4 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Magellanic Woodpecker

The Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) is a species of large woodpecker found in southern Chile and southwestern Argentina; it is resident within its range. This species is the southernmost example of the genus Campephilus, which includes the famous ivory-billed woodpecker (C. principalis).

The Magellanic woodpecker is 36 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in) in length. Males of this species weigh 312–369 g (11.0–13.0 oz), and females weigh 276–312 g (9.7–11.0 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 20.5 to 23 cm (8.1 to 9.1 in), the tail is 13.9 to 16.8 cm (5.5 to 6.6 in), the bill is 4.3 to 6 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in), and the tarsus is 3.3 to 3.9 cm (1.3 to 1.5 in). It is the largest South American woodpecker and one of the largest woodpeckers in the world. Among the species known to exist, only the non-neotropical members of the genus Dryocopus and the great slaty woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus) are larger-bodied. With the likely extinction of the ivory-billed and imperial woodpeckers (Campephilus imperialis), the Magellanic woodpecker is the largest living species of the genus Campephilus. With an average weight of 339 g (12.0 oz) in males and 291... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Patter0:14

Chile · 2022

© Nicolas Vilches · XC819590 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:11

Chile · 2019

© Ignacio Escobar · XC584992 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call1:18

Chile · 2020

© Dante Buzzetti · XC537072 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~50%
2 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
~10%
3 Torres del Paine National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
~10%
4 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Magellanic Woodpecker in Tierra del Fuego National Park?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Magellanic Woodpecker sighting in Tierra del Fuego National Park on a given day, based on 689 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 78 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Magellanic Woodpecker in Tierra del Fuego National Park?

November

In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Magellanic Woodpecker in Tierra del Fuego National Park on a given day, against about 20% in August, the lowest month. June has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Magellanic Woodpecker?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Magellanic Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Tierra del Fuego National Park the best place to see a Magellanic Woodpecker?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Magellanic Woodpecker sightings, Tierra del Fuego National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park (Chile, about 10%) and Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 10%).

Where does the Magellanic Woodpecker sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Magellanic Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Tierra del Fuego National Park (689 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.

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