Golden-cheeked woodpecker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Golden-cheeked woodpecker
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Piciformes
Family:	Picidae
Genus:	Melanerpes
Species:	M. chrysogenys
Binomial name
Melanerpes chrysogenys (Vigors, 1839)
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The golden-cheeked woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) is a type of bird that belongs to the woodpecker family. You can only find this bird in Mexico.

About the Golden-Cheeked Woodpecker

Naming and Types

Scientists have given the golden-cheeked woodpecker the scientific name Melanerpes chrysogenys. Sometimes, it was placed in a different group called Centurus.

There are two main types, or subspecies, of this woodpecker:

• M. c. chrysogenys (named by Vigors in 1839)
• M. c. flavinuchus (named by Ridgway in 1911)

What It Looks Like

The golden-cheeked woodpecker is about 19 to 22 centimeters (7.5 to 8.7 inches) long. It weighs between 55 and 88 grams (1.9 to 3.1 ounces).

Male and female woodpeckers look very similar, except for the colors on their heads.

• Males have a whitish forehead, a bright red top of the head (crown), and a yellow-gold back of the neck.
• Females have a whitish forehead too, but their crown is grayish-buff and the back of their neck is orange-red.

Both males and females have a wide black area around their eyes. Their upper bodies have black and white stripes. Their wings are black with white stripes. Their tail is black with white stripes, especially on the middle feathers.

Their face near the beak and under the eye is a deep golden-yellow. Their cheeks, chin, and throat are golden-buff. Their undersides are mostly gray-brown with a yellowish-orange patch on their belly. Their lower sides and under the tail are grayer with dark stripes.

Their beak is long and black. Their eyes can be reddish to orange-brown. The skin around their eyes is blackish, and their legs are green-gray.

Young woodpeckers have duller colors and less clear stripes than adults. Both young males and females have some red on their heads, but young females have less.

The M. c. flavinuchus subspecies is a bit bigger and not as brightly colored. It has less yellow on its face and yellow instead of red on the back of its neck. Its undersides are also grayer.

Where It Lives and Its Home

The M. c. chrysogenys subspecies lives in western Mexico, from Sinaloa to Nayarit. The M. c. flavinuchus subspecies lives from Jalisco in west-central Mexico, south along the coast to Oaxaca, and east to Puebla.

These woodpeckers live in forests and at the edges of forests. They also like more open areas with scattered trees, like savannas, and even tree plantations. You can find them from sea level up to about 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) high.

Woodpecker Behavior

Movement

The golden-cheeked woodpecker stays in the same area all year round. It does not migrate.

Feeding

This woodpecker eats both insects and fruits. Its insect diet includes ants and adult or young beetles. It also enjoys fruits and seeds. It looks for food on trees, usually in the middle to upper parts. It often forages alone or in pairs, picking, poking, and pecking for its meals.

Reproduction

The golden-cheeked woodpecker's breeding season is from May to July. It digs its nest hole in a tree or a cactus. Not much else is known about how they raise their young.

Vocalization

The golden-cheeked woodpecker makes many different sounds. Some of its calls include a "nasal 'ki-di-dik'" and a loud, "nasal 'cheek-oo, cheek-oo, cheek-oo, keh-i-heh-ek'". It also makes a softer sound like "keh-i-heh" or "kuh-uh-uh."

Conservation Status

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the golden-cheeked woodpecker as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of extinction.

It lives in a large area, and its population is believed to be stable. There are at least 50,000 adult birds. No immediate threats have been found. It is a common bird in many places within its range. However, scientists still need to learn more about its breeding habits.