Small, rare woodpecker restricted to very wet lowland and foothill rainforest in western Colombia and far northwestern Ecuador. Both sexes have olive back and wings, extensive dark barring on underparts, and golden nape. Male has a red crown, and female has a brown crown. Easily mistaken for the much more common Red-rumped Woodpecker, whose rump is frequently hidden by its wings. Choco has thicker, darker barring, especially on the breast, where some of the bars are tinged with copper or buff.