Between October 2006 and July 2009 we recorded Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) in the Geographic Cauca River Valley-VGRC, Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. We estimate that this species has expanded its distribution over 200 km from its last record published in Armenia (Quindío). In the VGRC many studies of birds in recent decades found no evidence of the presence of this species, which supports our assumption of its recent arrival in this area. The sites where the species has been recorded show climatic conditions similar to those recorded in the known distribution, but Red-crowned Woodpeckers have also been observed in areas with different characteristics. This suggests that the species is favored by changes in vegetation coverage. Reproductive data support the hypothesis of the presence of populations in the study region, rather than wandering individuals. Because other woodpecker species inhabit the VGRC, the arrival of Red-crowned Woodpecker may lead to interspecific competition.