Adult males have a whitish forehead, a scarlet crown, and a golden yellow lower nape and hindneck.

Adult females have the same whitish forehead and yellow hindneck but a black forecrown and a scarlet hindcrown and nape.

Their lores, cheeks, chin, throat, and breast are white to cream or pale yellow.

Their iris is very dark brown, the beak is blackish with a paler base, and the legs are gray.

Juveniles are duller than adults, their black areas are browner, the underparts' barring is less contrasting, and the belly patch is smaller and more orange.

[4] The beautiful woodpecker is endemic to the valley of the Magdalena River in north central Colombia.