This woodpecker forages on rocky hills and mountains, digging for ants. Males and females differ in their face markings.
Its crown and forehead are brownish gray. Males have a black malar stripe with red flecks; females lack the obvious stripe. The breast and belly are red-toned.
It feeds mainly on ants, digging into underground nests and probing them with a long, sticky tongue. Foraging peaks in the morning and again late in the afternoon.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.