This woodpecker is recorded in Yunnan and nearby areas. It has black-and-white barring; males have a red crown while females have a black crown.
The male has a red crown and the female a black crown. The body is barred black and white, the underparts are pale olive-yellow with dark streaks, and the undertail is red.
Yunnan records place it in broadleaf forest and tall trees in low-mountain tea gardens, alone, in pairs, or in small groups. It mainly eats insects; fruit was found in some examined stomachs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.