Photo: dominic sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
Melanerpes chrysogenys
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 67.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Melanerpes
- Species chrysogenys
Quick facts
- Weight
- 67.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA w Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 67.7 g, with a wing length of about 11.8 cm and a tail of around 7.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 161,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker?
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 67.7 g.
Where does the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker live?
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA w Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker belong to?
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker eat?
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker migrate?
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker's range?
The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 161,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.