It is one of the smallest species of woodpecker in Brazil and one of the best adapted to the urban environment. It measures about 10 centimeters and can be seen (and heard) while looking for larvae and insects in branches and tree trunks, hammering the wood repeatedly with its beak. It has a beautiful plumage with the belly and chest striped in black and white, the brownish wings and the dark head with white spots. The male stands out from the female for having a bright red spot at the forehead. Although not so uncommon on the Campus of Praia Vermelha, it is a bird that is difficult to observe.