Mottled Piculet Picumnus nebulosus Scientific name definitions

The Mottled Piculet is one of the 25 species of the genus Picumnus. It is a typical piculet in size, shape, and behavior and has the southeasternmost distribution of all piculets on the American continent. It is restricted to southern Brazil, much of Uruguay, and marginally a small portion of northeast Argentina. It inhabits mostly low forest vegetation with dense understory, forest edge, and gallery woodland, often in areas with bamboo. It is uncommon to locally fairly common. This species is often seen hanging from twigs on small branches. Mottled Piculet feeds on larvae, ant eggs, and other insects. It has pale brown plumage on the breast, a lighter throat, and streaks on the flanks, with the remaining plumage uniform and not barred like many of its congeners. Both sexes have a black crown with spots, but the male has a prominent red spot on the forehead; juveniles resemble females. Like other species in its genus, the biology of the Mottled Piculet is not well known. The total population size of Mottled Piculet is unknown, but its population is declining, and the IUCN considers it Near Threatened.