Photo: Lip Kee Yap / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes cactorum
White-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 34.9 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 cactorum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-fronted 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 White-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Bolivia and w Paraguay to nc Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.9 g, with a wing length of about 10.6 cm and a tail of around 6.5 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 942,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-fronted Woodpecker?
The White-fronted Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 34.9 g.
Where does the White-fronted Woodpecker live?
The White-fronted Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA Bolivia and w Paraguay to nc Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-fronted Woodpecker belong to?
The White-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the White-fronted Woodpecker eat?
The White-fronted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-fronted Woodpecker migrate?
The White-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-fronted 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 White-fronted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the White-fronted Woodpecker can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-fronted Woodpecker's range?
The White-fronted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 942,000 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.