Photo: Jairmoreirafotografia / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes flavifrons
Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons) — 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 Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 57.8 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 flavifrons
Quick facts
- Weight
- 57.8 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil, e Paraguay and ne Argentina.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 57.8 g, with a wing length of about 11.7 cm and a tail of around 7 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 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker?
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 57.8 g.
Where does the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker live?
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil, e Paraguay and ne Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker belong to?
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker eat?
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker migrate?
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-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 Yellow-fronted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-fronted 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 Yellow-fronted Woodpecker's range?
The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million 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.