The Silver-beaked Woodpecker measures between 35 and 38 cm. Adults have predominantly black upper plumage, contrasting with their ivory-colored beak and a characteristic bushy crest. A white stripe runs from both sides of the neck down to the shoulders, almost forming a "V" shape on the back. The throat is black, while the underparts are mostly white, adorned with thick black bars.
A way to distinguish the female Silver-beaked Woodpecker is the absence of a white facial stripe, making it easily recognizable.
The distribution range of this woodpecker extends from Mexico to Panama, including countries like Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. It inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, as well as mangroves, where it often forages in the upper parts of trunks and main branches of large trees.
The diet of the Silver-beaked Woodpecker primarily consists of large beetle larvae, which it skillfully forages in the high canopy of the forests.