Wearing the Sun: Meeting the Golden-Fronted Woodpecker

My visit to South Texas continues to be a source of never-ending pleasures. Whether photographing the flora or fauna, there were plenty — and I mean plenty! — of observations to use. So much of what I captured was first-time sightings. Here’s another lifer from my visit to the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas.

Please meet the Golden-Fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons). Like most woodpeckers, this guy didn’t hang around for long. I was lucky to capture these two shots, and they were worth it.

The Golden-Fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) is a medium-sized woodpecker, measuring roughly 8.7 to 10 inches (22–26 cm) long and weighing between 2.3 and 3.6 ounces (65–102 g). Its wingspan reaches about 17 inches (43 cm). The bird gets its name from the bright golden-yellow patch above its bill — a striking detail that’s hard to miss once you spot it perched against a sunlit branch.

Despite the family resemblance, this isn’t a bird I’d see migrating through Mission. The Golden-Fronted Woodpecker is a year-round resident, not a migrant. Its range stretches from southwestern Oklahoma down through central and South Texas, into eastern and central Mexico, and as far south as Honduras and Nicaragua. South Texas — and the mesquite brushlands around the Rio Grande Valley in particular — is the heart of its U.S. range, which made the National Butterfly Center the perfect place to finally cross paths with one.

This woodpecker is a true omnivore. Its diet is split roughly evenly between insects (adult and larval arthropods, including some it catches in flight) and plant matter — fruits, nuts, acorns, and even corn. In summer, prickly pear cactus fruit (tuna) is such a favorite that some Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers walk around with their faces stained purple from feeding on it. (I’d love to photograph that look someday.)

A few quirks set this woodpecker apart from its cousins:

• It rarely excavates for food. Unlike many woodpeckers that hammer deep into wood after grubs, the Golden-Fronted prefers to glean insects from bark surfaces, probe crevices, or even sally out to grab flying prey on the wing.
• Both sexes defend the territory. Males and females will chase off intruders of either sex — unusual behavior compared with most of their close relatives.
• They occasionally interbreed with Red-bellied Woodpeckers where the two species’ ranges overlap in Texas and Oklahoma. One famously wayward male even showed up in western Florida, paired with a local Red-bellied, and raised two young.
• Mud and sun bathing have been documented — a charming, unexpected habit for a bird so closely associated with bark and branches.

That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Bird of the Week, Golden-Fronted Woodpecker, Mission, National Butterfly Center, Parks, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.

Posted for I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CLXVI.

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Sources:

• Wikipedia — “Golden-fronted woodpecker” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds — Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Overview and Life History (allaboutbirds.org)
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds of the World — Melanerpes aurifrons (birdsoftheworld.org)
• National Audubon Society — Audubon Field Guide, Golden-fronted Woodpecker (audubon.org)
• Animal Diversity Web — Melanerpes aurifrons (animaldiversity.org), University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifrons (fws.gov)