The Helmeted Woodpecker lives in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern South America. A study reports that its plumage resembles that of a larger, co-occurring woodpecker, and tracked birds used cavities in large trees as roosts.
A study in northeastern Argentina notes that its plumage pattern strongly resembles that of the larger, co-occurring Robust Woodpecker.
Twelve birds tracked in Misiones province used decay-formed cavities in large living trunks as year-round roosts. After nesting, an adult shared a cavity with one juvenile for up to 67 days in recorded cases.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.