The Choco Woodpecker lives in humid forest from western Colombia to northwestern Ecuador. Males have a red crown and females a dark olive-brown crown. Its diet and feeding behavior are poorly known. Checklists differ on genus, so this entry follows Veniliornis chocoensis.
It is about 15–16 cm long. The male has a red crown; the female crown is dark olive-brown. Both sexes have a brownish-buff face with darker streaks and a dull golden nape.
It has been recorded inside and at the edges of humid to very wet forest. One pair was observed feeding with a mixed-species flock in primary forest, but its diet and usual foraging behavior remain poorly known.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.