Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker (Celeus castaneus)

The Chestnut-colored Woodpecker is one of the fanciest of the woodpeckers in Central America. It is a member of the genus Celeus, which is composed of numerous “chestnut” colored woodpeckers, all of which also have a characteristic “hammer-head” crest. The Chestnut-colored occurs farther north than any of its congeners, ranging from southern Mexico south to extreme northwestern Panama. Overall the bird is bright chestnut-brown. The crest is a paler light rufous-brown, the underparts and back have extensive black chevron-shaped scaling, it has a red “mustache” stripe, and the bill is light yellow.

It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama, so you will need a Central American award to get within their range. My best sightings were at Laguna del Lagarto Lodge in Costa Rica.