Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – (Species Account Blog #118)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Piciformes – Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans and Honeyguides
- FAMILY: Picidae – Woodpeckers,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Melanerpes hoffmannii
A typical bar-backed Melanerpes, Hoffmann’s Woodpecker is largely creamy below and on the head, with a dark gray back and black wings, both heavily barred in white, while the nape is golden yellow; males also have a small red crown patch. Like many Melanerpes, this woodpecker has proved itself able to adapt to human-modified habitats. Indeed, it shuns dense forest, preferring semiopen wooded country, especially in xeric areas. It ranges from sea level to over 2000 m elevation. Consequently, despite being restricted to the Pacific slope of Central America, from Honduras south to Costa Rica, Hoffmann’s Woodpecker is not perceived to be threatened by deforestation. (from Birds of the World)
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we observed Hoffmann’s Woodpecker at almost every low to mid-elevation stop between Punta Leona and Rancho Naturalista.
PHOTO GALLERY
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 
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