Yucatan Woodpecker
Melanerpes pygmaeus
The Yucatan Woodpecker (Melanerpes pygmaeus) is a uncommon woodpecker found in 4 countries, weighing about 39 g. The Yucatan woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae.
About the Yucatan Woodpecker
The Yucatan woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is sometimes referred to as the red-vented woodpecker. The Yucatan woodpecker is found in Belize and Mexico, and ranges over the entire Yucatán Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult Yucatan woodpecker is 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. Adults are mainly light gray on the face and underparts; they have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail. Adult males have a red cap going from the eye to the nape, whereas the red cap is only in the occipital area in the females. There are yellow feathers around the base of the bill. There may be a yellowish tinge to the belly and a red wash to the vent area.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Yucatan Woodpecker can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Yucatan Woodpecker?
- The adult Yucatan woodpecker is 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Yucatan Woodpecker?
- The Yucatan Woodpecker is a small sized bird weighing about 39 g.
- Where can you see a Yucatan Woodpecker?
- The Yucatan Woodpecker occurs in 4 countries, including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.
- What birds look similar to a Yucatan Woodpecker?
- The Yucatan Woodpecker is most easily confused with the Hispaniolan Woodpecker, the West Indian Woodpecker and the White-fronted Woodpecker.
- Is the Yucatan Woodpecker endangered?
- The Yucatan Woodpecker is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Yucatan Woodpecker for real
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