Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Golden-fronted Woodpecker, male; Roma, TX

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Golden-fronted Woodpecker, female; Roma, TX

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A stripe-backed woodpecker of Mexico and Central America, the Golden-fronted Woodpecker reaches the United States only in the brushlands and open woodlands of Texas and Oklahoma.

Description

• Medium- to large-sized woodpecker.
• Back barred black-and-white.
• Orange-yellow back of neck.
• White rump.
• Male with red cap.

• Size: 22-26 cm (9-10 in)
• Wingspan: 43 cm (17 in)
• Weight: 65-102 g (2.29-3.6 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male with red cap, female with grayish cap.

Sound

Call a loud, raspy "churr." Also short "check" notes and drums.

Conservation Status

Populations appear stable. Increased in Texas and Oklahoma in second half of 20th century with the proliferation of mesquite on rangeland.

Other Names

Pic à front doré (French)
Carpintero cheje (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is composed of four subspecies that differ in size, amount of barring on the tail, and the color of the nape, nasal tufts, and belly. Whereas the nape of the form found in Texas and most of Mexico is yellow to orange, it is red on the Yucatan Peninsula and orange farther south. The four forms were formerly considered different species.
• The Golden-fronted Woodpecker consumes about as much fruit and nuts as it does insects. In summer in Texas, the faces of some woodpeckers become stained purple from eating fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

Sources used to construct this page:

Husak, M. S., and T. C. Maxwell. 1998. Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons). In The Birds of North America, No. 373 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.