Antillean piculet throat and belly is off-white with streaks and spots. The female is similar to the male, except larger and lacking the red spot on the forecrown. The plumage of juvenile birds is similar to the adults but duller. Unlike the true woodpeckers (Picinae), they do not drum on trees to advertise their ownership of a territory, instead calling in a loud and rapid whistle. This call, rendered as "kuk-kikikikekukuk", is also used as a contact call between pairs. The Antillean piculet feeds on insects, with ants and beetles forming a large part of the diet. They also consume a lot
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