This large woodpecker occurs in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It uses humid forests, including Araucaria forest, and males and females differ in cheek markings.
The head is mostly red, with a short crest and a strong greenish bill. The wings and tail are black; in flight the wings show cinnamon patches above and below. It has a large buff back patch and heavy barring below. Males have white ear spots, while females have a prominent white moustache.
It occurs in humid lowland and montane forests, including Araucaria forest. BirdLife International classifies it as highly dependent on forest habitat.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.