This small woodpecker occurs in northern Amazonia and nearby forest regions. The male's red crown and yellow wing spots, along with barred underparts in both sexes, help identify it.
The upperparts are olive-brown to green. The male has a red crown, an ochre collar and yellow ocelli on the upper wing coverts; the underparts are barred.
It searches bark for insects and larvae in forest canopies and edges. Records also include secondary growth as well as terra firme forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.