This woodpecker lives in humid forest and cloud forest in the Andes from Bolivia to Venezuela. It has striking red upperparts and a pale face; the male and female have differently colored facial stripes.
The Birds Colombia account describes a carmine crown, nape, and much of the back, with yellowish-white sides to the face. The male's eyebrow and moustachial stripe are red; the female's are black. It notes that subspecies atriceps, from southern Peru to central Bolivia, has a black crown.
The account reports it in humid and cloud forests from 950 to 3,500 m, where it forages in trees and also in tall shrubs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.