• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic note
Recent molecular study indicated that this species occupied a basal but uncertain position in the genus (Moore et al. 2006). In the past was often treated as conspecific with V. cassini or V. affinis, but differs in plumage details, in size and in habitat preferences, apparently also vocally, and is separated from both by Andes chain. Monotypic.

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2024	Least Concern
2016	Near Threatened	A2c+3c+4c
2012	Near Threatened	A2c+3c+4c
2008	Near Threatened	A2c; A3c; A4c
2004	Near Threatened
2000	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	181,000 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	unknown	-	-	-
Population trend	decreasing	poor	suspected	2017-2027
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Generation length	3.23 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: The population size of this species has not been quantified, but it is described as rare and local (Freile and Restall 2018, Hilty 2021).

Trend justification: The population trend has not been investigated, but the only threat known to the species is the logging and fragmentation of forests within the range. On this basis, a slow population decline is suspected.
Tree cover loss within the range is very low and localised (1% over ten years; Global Forest Watch 2023, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). This value does however not account for additional degradation of forests. The overall rate of habitat loss may be higher; however it is unlikely that it exceeds 10% over ten years. This value is confirmed by a projection of habitat loss for the Colombian part of the range, which calculated a rate of 2-5% over ten years (Negret et al. 2021). Under the assumption that population declines in this forest-dependent species are roughly equivalent to the rate of habitat loss, they are here placed in the band 1-9% over ten years.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Colombia	extant	native	yes
Ecuador	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Colombia	Reserva Natural El Pangán
Ecuador	Cayapas-Santiago-Wimbí
Ecuador	Corredor Awacachi
Ecuador	Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve and surrouding areas (Reserva Ecológica Mache-Chindul IBA)
Ecuador	Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas
Ecuador	Río Caoní
Ecuador	Territorio Étnico Awá y alrededores
Ecuador	Verde-Ónzole-Cayapas-Canandé

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 1450 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Choco Woodpecker Veniliornis chocoensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/choco-woodpecker-veniliornis-chocoensis on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.