The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
A robust, medium-sized woodpecker with a long, pointed bill.
Relative Size
Larger than a Downy Woodpecker, smaller than a Northern Flicker.
between robin and crowMeasurements
- Both Sexes
- Length: 8.7-10.2 in (22-26 cm)
- Weight: 2.6-3.5 oz (73-99 g)
- Wingspan: 16.5-17.3 in (42-44 cm)
© Guillermo Lopez / Macaulay Library
- Color Pattern
- Behavior
- Habitat
Regional Differences
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is composed of four subspecies that differ in size, amount of barring on the tail, and the color of the nape, nasal tufts, and belly. Whereas the nape of the form found in Texas and most of Mexico is yellow to orange, it is red in the Yucatan Peninsula and orange farther south. The four forms were formerly considered different species. Only the subspecies aurifrons is found in the United States; the others are found from Mexico through Central America.
