The golden-fronted woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in the southern United States, Mexico and parts of Central America.
Region
Southern United States to northern Central America
Typical Environment
This species occurs from south-central and southern Texas south through most of Mexico into northern Central America, including Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. It favors open woodlands, riparian corridors, oak–mesquite savannas, thornscrub, and edges of tropical dry forest. It also thrives in rural and suburban areas, using orchards, parks, and ranchlands with scattered trees. Nesting typically occurs in self-excavated cavities in dead or decaying wood, including trees, snags, and fence posts. It adapts well to fragmented landscapes as long as suitable cavity sites and foraging substrates are present.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2400 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Golden-fronted woodpeckers are conspicuous, zebra-backed woodpeckers of open woods and brushy country from Texas through much of Mexico into northern Central America. Males show a red cap bordered by golden-yellow on the forehead and nape, which gives the species its name. They readily use human-altered habitats, nesting in fence posts and utility poles as well as trees, and often visit backyard feeders for suet and fruit. In parts of Texas they may hybridize with the closely related Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Velasquez's woodpecker male on wild papaya
Golden-fronted woodpecker, race polygrammus, Belize
Male in flight, Texas
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
undulating flight with strong wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, with pairs defending territories during the breeding season. Both sexes excavate the nest cavity and share incubation and chick-rearing duties. They will reuse or enlarge old cavities and sometimes appropriate soft posts or dead limbs near human activity. Outside breeding, they may join loose foraging aggregations at abundant food sources.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp chiv or chur calls and a ringing, rolling rattle used in contact and territorial contexts. Drumming is rapid and even, delivered on resonant wood or metal surfaces. Overall voice is loud and carries well through open woodland.
