This woodpecker is endemic to Panama, where it inhabits humid lowlands and foothills. The male has a red head and a white cheek stripe.
The male has a bright red crown, nape, and moustachial region, with a white streak on the lower cheek. Its upperparts are orange-brown and its spotted chest and throat are olive. The female has a dark grey crown and moustachial region.
It inhabits humid lowlands and foothills on both slopes of Panama.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.