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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Woodpeckers, Barbets, and Allies (Order Piciformes)

-Woodpeckers (Family Picidae)

-Melanerpes Woodpeckers (Genus Melanerpes)

-Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys)


The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is common in the tropical lowlands of west Mexico, where it is endemic. Black-and-white barred back, and rump,; mostly pale grey underparts with yellow-tinged belly; small black eye patch; faint yellowish wash on ear patch (cheeks); red crown; yellow forehead and nape. The female is similar but a crown that is pale gray and black, not red. Their diet consists mainly of beetles, ants, insect larvae, fruits and seeds.

Golden-cheeked Woodpecker - Female

Melanerpes chrysogenys Copy

Diet

  • Primarily insects, including beetles, ants, termites, caterpillars, and other wood-boring larvae.

  • Also feeds on fruits, berries, seeds, nectar, and occasionally tree sap.

  • Forages on tree trunks, branches, and large cacti by probing bark, gleaning insects, and catching flying insects in short aerial sallies.

Range

  • Endemic to western Mexico, occurring along the Pacific slope from southern Sinaloa through Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and western Oaxaca.

  • Common throughout the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a year-round resident.

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, thorn forests, woodland edges, gallery forests, open woodlands, plantations, parks, and gardens from sea level to about 1,800 m.

Male / Female

  • Male: Black-and-white barred back, pale underparts, bright golden-yellow face, red crown extending from the forehead to the nape, and a grayish bill.

  • Female: Similar overall appearance but lacks the red crown, having a gray to black crown instead, while retaining the characteristic golden-yellow face.

  • The sexes are readily distinguished by the presence (male) or absence (female) of the red crown.

Size

  • Length: 21–24 cm (8.3–9.4 in)

  • Wingspan: 34–38 cm (13.4–15.0 in)

  • Weight: 65–95 g

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