Identification
Medium-sized woodpecker found in the subtropical and temperate zones in the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. Stunning and unlikely to be mistaken: bright red above and yellow below with obvious pale cheek and dark scalloping on breast. Fairly common but sometimes inconspicuous. Look for singles or pairs following mixed-species flocks, usually in the middle to upper levels of mossy cloud forest. In addition to foraging vertically on trunks in typical woodpecker fashion, seems adept at hitching along smaller horizontal branches.