White-fronted woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-fronted woodpecker |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Melanerpes |
| Species: |
M. cactorum
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| Binomial name | |
| Melanerpes cactorum (D'Orbigny, 1840)
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The white-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum) is a cool bird that lives in parts of South America. It's a type of woodpecker, which means it belongs to the Picidae family. You can mostly find these birds in countries like Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. They like to live in dry forests, bushy areas, and even high-up places with shrubs.
What Does It Look Like?
A grown-up white-fronted woodpecker is about 17 cm (7 in) long. That's about the size of a small ruler! Both male and female woodpeckers look very similar. The only small difference is that males sometimes have a tiny red patch on their head. This red patch is not always easy to see.
Their head, neck, and upper body are shiny black. They have a thin white line that goes down their back. A black "mask" goes around their eyes. Their wings are bluish-black with bold white stripes. The underside of their wings is a browner color.
The front of their head and cheeks are white. Their chin and throat can be white, yellow, or a light tan color. Their chest and belly are usually gray. They have faint stripes on their sides and lower belly. Their eyes are reddish-brown, their beak is grayish-black, and their legs are gray.
Young woodpeckers look a lot like the adults. However, their black feathers are not as shiny. Their underparts have more stripes. Both young males and females might have hints of red or orange on the middle of their heads.
Where Do They Live?
The white-fronted woodpecker lives in central South America. You can find them in southeastern Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, northern Argentina, Paraguay, and southeastern Brazil. They love places like the Gran Chaco region, which has grasslands and dry areas. They also live in places with scattered trees, bushes, and cacti.
Sometimes, you can spot them in palm tree groves or along rivers where trees grow. They also live on farms that have scattered trees. These woodpeckers can live at high places, up to 2,500 m (8,000 ft) above sea level. They do not travel far or move to different places during the year. They stay in the same area all the time.
Are They Safe?
This woodpecker lives across a very large area. Scientists believe there are many of them, and their numbers seem steady. No big dangers have been found for them. Experts describe them as a common bird species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) checks on animals around the world. They have said the white-fronted woodpecker is a "least concern" species. This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
