Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden-naped Woodpecker
Melanerpes chrysauchen
Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) — 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-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 52.5 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 chrysauchen
Quick facts
- Weight
- 52.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Golden-naped Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Golden-naped Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Costa Rica and Panama.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 52.5 g, with a wing length of about 11 cm and a tail of around 5.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 15,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden-naped Woodpecker?
The Golden-naped Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 52.5 g.
Where does the Golden-naped Woodpecker live?
The Golden-naped Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Costa Rica and Panama, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Golden-naped Woodpecker belong to?
The Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Golden-naped Woodpecker eat?
The Golden-naped Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Golden-naped Woodpecker migrate?
The Golden-naped Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Golden-naped 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-naped Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Golden-naped 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-naped Woodpecker's range?
The Golden-naped Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 15,000 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.