White-browed piculet descending to the ground, where it may hop for short distances. This bird uses pieces of bamboo to make its nest. It picks up bits of broken bamboo with its feet, and uses its beak to pull away partially broken fragments. Breeding takes place between March and July. The white-browed piculet is described as a fairly common bird and has a very extensive range. No particular threats to this bird are known and, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the population is believed to be stable. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed
White-barred piculet northeastern Brazil; "P. c. thamnophiloides" found in southeastern Bolivia and northeastern Argentina; "P. c. tucumanus" found in northwestern Argentina; the Pilcomayo piculet, "P. c. pilcomayensis" found in southeastern Bolivia, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina; and the nominate subspecies "P. c. cirratus" found in southeastern Brazil, southern Mato Grosso and eastern Paraguay. The taxonomy of this species is difficult; the races "pilcomayensis", "thamnophiloides" and "tucumanus" intergrade in northern Argentina and are sometimes considered a separate species, and "pilcomayensis" intergrades with "cirratus" in eastern Paraguay. The northern subspecies, "confusus" and "macconnelli" may also be a distinct species. The white-barred piculet also hybridizes widely