Melanerpes pulcher

It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.

The Melanerpes pulcher is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The South American Melanerpes pulcher is recognized as a species distinct from M. chrysauchen, following the treatment by Wetmore (1968) and Stiles and Skutch (1989), who considered the plumage differences to be comparable to species level differences in other Melanerpes. Authors who have treated them as conspecific (e.g. Peters 1948, Sibley and Monroe 1990, Winkler et al. 1995) have not provided a specific rationale for so doing. More