Caatinga Woodpecker

Normally, it has been considered a subspecies of the Rufous-headed Woodpecker , but an evaluation by the South American Classification Committee in 2003 resulted in it being recognized as a distinct species. This was based on the differences in habitat, size and plumage, combined with the large distance between the ranges of the two species.

The Caatinga Woodpecker is classified as Critically Endangered (CR), facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Caatinga Woodpecker for some time, but this name is misleading and based on confusion between two places with similar names (see below). More

Caatinga Woodpecker was found by a Brazilian ornithologist Advaldo do Prado whilst surveying in the Tocantins region of Central Brazil. This enigmatic species had not been observed since its initial discovery in 1926. “Rediscovering birds is what many conservationists dream about,” said Pedro Develey IBA Coordinator of SAVE Brasil (BirdLife in Brazil), “There is something truly special about finding a bird that many of us considered ‘lost’ for so long. More

The Caatinga Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) had not been seen since its discovery in 1926 when Advaldo do Prado came across this one in eastern central Brazil. The country has more globally threatened species than any other. (Image: Guilherme R C Silva/BirdLife) Let us hope for as clear new evidence of the ivory-billed woodpecker will be developed soon. My thanks to Arthur Masloski. +++ Update from Mount Desert Islander. More

The rediscovery of the Caatinga Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) has delighted conservationists worldwide and gives hope for other “lost” birds feared extinct. The single specimen has been considered a subspecies of Rufous-headed Woodpecker also known from South America. However, recently a recent review by ornithologists involved with the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithologists’ Union concluded that dramatic differences in the plumage of Caatinga Woodpecker warranted full species status. More

The name Caatinga Woodpecker is inaccurate and misleading. The species was given the Portuguese name pica-pau-do-parna More

Caatinga Woodpecker is known from a single specimen, (an adult female) collected in 1926 by E. Kaempfer. It is deposited in the American Musueum of Natural History, where Charles O'Brien noticed its unusual plumage first. After he retired, Short continued the investigation, and eventually described it as a subspecies of C. spectabilis in 1973. Despite searches by Novaes in 1980, it has not been seen since collection of the holotype. More

The Caatinga Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) was rediscovered during a recent ornithological survey in the Tocantins region of Central Brazil. "One of Brazil’s long lost birds, known only from a single specimen collected in 1926, has been rediscovered after an absence of 80 years." (News source. More

Caatinga Woodpecker rediscovered in Brazil after an 80 year absence. = 17/07/2006 00:00:00 news/CaatingaOne of Brazil’s long lost birds, known only from a single specimen collected in 1926, has been rediscovered after an absence of 80 years. The rediscovery of the Caatinga Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) has delighted conservationists worldwide and gives hope for other ‘lost’ birds feared extinct. The single specimen has been considered a subspecies of Rufous-headed Woodpecker also known from South America. More