Ochre-collared Piculet ( Picumnus temminckhii )

10 cm. It is very small, smaller than a sparrow. The feet are relatively big. The back and wings are brown and the ventral part white barred in black. The forehead of the male is red, while the female’s is black with white dots. In the immature the head is all brown. Can be told apart from the White-Barred Piculet ( Picumnus cirratus ) for having an ochraceous region around the neck and for being darker, mainly on the upper parts.
Distribution:
Southeastern Brazil and spread southwards up to Argentina.
Habitat:
Forest edges, gallery and secondary forests, woods, parks and gardens in big cities.
Diet:
Feeds mainly on ants larvae and pupae, but also on other insects.
Reproduction:
The Rival males have symbolic fights, pointing their beaks towards each other’s head without attacking. The nest hole is very small, limiting the invasion by predators. Both male and female take care of the 2 to 4 offspring.
Natural history:
It is the smallest woodpecker and one of the smallest birds in the country. Uses holes in trees to sleep and as shelters from heavy rain. Unlike other woodpeckers the tail is soft and does not support the weight of the body. This may explain why its feet are so large, enabling it to hold to the branches even when upside down. Hammers the wood to communicate. It is aggressive toward other woodpeckers and may defend itself hitting the predator or the collector’s hand with its beak when captured.