Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

In Ecuador, the Crimson-mantled Woodpecker is a fairly common resident of humid montane forests, typically found between 1,800 and 3,500 meters in the eastern and central Andes. It is a striking bird, with crimson upperparts, yellow underparts, and a pale cheek, often seen foraging alone or in pairs along mossy trunks and branches, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks. Though its population trend is suspected to be slowly declining due to habitat loss, it remains listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Its adaptability to cloud forest edges and secondary growth helps buffer it from more severe threats, making it a resilient yet emblematic species of Andean avifauna.