Magellanic Woodpecker – Patagonia Argentina

This bird lives inside the Andean forest between Argentina and Chile.
They need very old trees of the Nothofagus family to feed and breed.
Their food consists of larvas that are found underneath the bark of the trees. To get the larvas the Woodpecker “axe” the wood with its strong beak. If you walk quietly through the forest you will be able to hear the blows caused by this activity, like in the video I´m posting.

They also nest inside holes they dig in the trunks.
Fortunately woodpeckers are still frecuently seen in the Andean forests. But their survival depends 100% of the survival of ancient Nothofagus trees. If these trees disappear, it is possible the Magellanic Woodpecker could get extinct.
Below you can see some pictures I took in the National Park Tierra del Fuego, near the city of Ushuaia in Argentina. The pictures were taken in February 2020.
Enjoy!