The Buff-necked Woodpecker is a forest-dwelling woodpecker. The male has a buff patch on each side of the neck and a red cheek stripe; the female lacks the red stripe.
The male is dark olive-brown, with large buff patches at the sides of the neck, a red cheek stripe, and fine buff bars on the back and wings. The female lacks the red cheek stripe.
The historical species account describes it as occurring in dense forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.