Magellanic Woodpecker

Identification

The Magellanic woodpecker is the largest South American woodpecker and one of the largest woodpeckers in the world, measuring 36 to 45 cm in length. Males are notably heavier than females, weighing 312–369 g compared to females at 276–312 g. With the likely extinction of the ivory-billed and imperial woodpeckers, the Magellanic woodpecker is now the largest living species of the genus Campephilus and perhaps the heaviest certainly extant woodpecker in the Americas.

The species is unmistakable in appearance within its range. It is mainly pure black with a distinctive white wing patch and a grey, chisel-like beak. Males are identified by their crimson head and crest, while females have a mainly black head with red coloration near the base of the bill. Juveniles resemble females but have a smaller crest and a browner tinge to their plumage. Both sexes produce several vocalizations, including an explosive nasal call (tsie-yaa or pi-caa) and a loud gargling call from pairs, along with their characteristic loud double-knock drum.

Range & Habitat

The Magellanic woodpecker is found in southern Chile and southwestern Argentina, where it is resident year-round. It inhabits mature Nothofagus and Nothofagus-Austrocedrus forests. The species' distribution has contracted and become fragmented as a consequence of native forest clearance, particularly in south-central Chile.

These woodpeckers feed mainly on wood-boring grubs and adult beetles, as well as spiders. They generally use live trees for foraging but also feed on dead substrates such as fallen or broken trees. Once snow disappears in spring, they forage on humid lower tree trunks. In Tierra del Fuego, Magellanic woodpeckers notably forage on decaying and dead trees around ponds hosting introduced American beavers. Occasionally, their diet is supplemented with sap, fruits, small reptiles, bats, and the eggs and nestlings of passerines.

Behaviour & Diet

Magellanic woodpeckers feed in pairs or small family groups and are very active in their food searching, spending most of the daytime hunting for prey. Family groups roost together, with up to five individuals observed roosting in a single cavity. Breeding pairs are highly territorial and aggressively displace conspecifics, sometimes cooperatively with juveniles raised in prior years. They breed during the Southern Hemisphere's springtime from October to January, with both sexes cooperating in nest excavation and all breeding duties. Adults breed every second year, a feature unique to this species among woodpeckers. Incubation lasts 15 to 17 days, with young fledging at 45 to 50 days. Young birds become sexually mature after 2-3 years but typically do not breed successfully until 4 to 5 years of age.

Best Time & Places to See It

The best time to observe Magellanic woodpeckers is during the breeding season from October to January in the Southern Hemisphere spring, when pairs are most active and visible as they excavate nests and rear young. Look for them in mature Nothofagus and Nothofagus-Austrocedrus forests in southern Chile and southwestern Argentina. In Tierra del Fuego, wetland areas with decaying trees around beaver ponds offer particularly good viewing opportunities. Since they spend most of the daytime actively searching for food in pairs or small family groups, patient observation during daylight hours in suitable forest habitat provides the best chances for sightings.

Photography Tips

Photograph Magellanic woodpeckers during daylight hours when they are most active foraging. The male's striking crimson head and crest provide excellent contrast against the pure black plumage and white wing patches, making for compelling images. Position yourself near mature forest trees where the birds forage, particularly on live trunks and around fallen wood where they spend considerable time searching for prey. The species' large size and bold coloration make it relatively photogenic compared to smaller woodpeckers, and their pair and family-group behaviour offers opportunities to capture multiple individuals in a single frame.