Lively and Loud Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers

In Churintzio. Michoacan Mexico where I go birdwatching virtually on a daily basis there, of the at least 20-30 species that I typically see, are some extremely lively and loud birds. There I am treated to the boisterous antics of Western kingbirds, groove-billed anis, American coots, and the seasonally appearing great kiskadees and social flycatchers. Yet, none of those species of birds, individually or collectively, can match the vocal noise level or activity level of the non-pecking, non-tapping, non-hammering golden-fronted woodpecker.

Locally, even from a distance of over 200 yards while approaching one of their favorite feeding areas, a small grove of mostly oak trees, through binoculars these medium-sized 8 1/2"-10" woodpeckers can be seen flying from telephone poles to trees or vice versa in their easily distinguishable and peculiar straight rapid tight undulating flight pattern. For sure, from that distance, or even further, they can be heard! Sometimes what you hear is a rolling “churr-churr.” Or what is frequently heard is a raspy and gruff “kek-kek.” Just as often what can more than easily be discerned is a loud rapid nasal Gatling gun-like “yuk-yuk-yuk-yuk-yuk.” Consequently, although while birding rarely I might not have an opportunity to see one, there has never been a time when I did not hear some!

Just as they are distinctive auditory-wise, so are they visually. With deep reddish brown eyes, black bills, legs, and feet, their backs and wings are horizontally barred/striped black and white while having gray/white underparts and a white rump with a forked black tail. The adult males have a conspicuous red cap while the females have a black one. What gives the golden-fronted woodpecker their non-scientific name, though, in both English and in Spanish (carpintero frentidorado) is their lovely golden orange-yellow nape and forehead.

They are an abundant and not-at-risk North American species that have four subspecies that vary in size, in the amount of barring on the tail, and in the coloration of the nape and belly. The non-migratory golden-fronted woodpecker in the U.S. can only be seen in Central Texas and Southwestern Oklahoma. South of the U.S. border, they range from North and Central Mexico down through Mexico’s Atlantic slope and all the way into Central America.

In terms of habitat, which is largely predicated by their diet, they prefer open and semi-open areas with scattered trees, hedges, cactus, mesquite, forest edges, brush lands, and scrubby woodlands. Omnivorous by nature, their diet is approximately 50% insects like grasshoppers, beetles, ants, flies, and spiders; in addition to insect larvae also occasionally perhaps consuming such other protein as birds eggs, frogs, and lizards. The other half is comprised of seeds, corn, acorns, wild fruits and berries. One of mine and my frequent birding partner, my wife, Maria's, favorite viewing pleasures is watching them, normally singly but sometimes in pairs, gorging upon the prickly pears on the nopal cactus which are common along the trails in Churintzio.

Interestingly, these louder than loud monogamous woodpeckers whether in pursuit of prey or when desiring a nest (they utilize, oftentimes over and over again, pre-existing cavities in live or dead trees and, sometimes, telephone poles), do not peck, tap, or hammer. Rather, they are bark foragers that scavenge insects and larvae from the surface of trees by probing into the crevices of the bark. What facilitates their ability to do so is a specially adapted tongue that extends out beyond its bill. They are also able to hawk/snag flying insects in flight.

To say that over the last few years that I have had hundreds of sightings of these remarkable golden-fronted woodpeckers wood be a gross understatement. While in the over three mile loop that I/we often take while birdwatching there are four unpredictably predictable areas to hear and hopefully see them, the best one is at that aforementioned grove which is fortuitously a mere ten minute walk from our home. There frequently, often joined by such other birds as streak-backed orioles, Western Kingbirds, vermilion flycatchers, various other flycatchers depending on the season, and house finches, they can be observed at their frenetic best. Mid-level on the trees they will be seen foraging for insects as they normally proceed vertically climbing the tree to higher levels and then suddenly take flight while “kek-keking” or "churr-churring” to another tree and then another until they finally leave the grove and quite often noisely head to a nearby telephone pole.

Although generically a group of woodpeckers are referred to by such collective nouns as a “descent,”a “drumming,” or a “gatling,” I prefer, after what I witnessed at the grove, to call them a “convention.” You see, onetime while at the grove there were, atypically, a minimum of fifteen golden-fronted woodpeckers for a period of many minutes cacophonously and feverishly flying from tree to tree somewhat similar to Las Vegas conventioneers boisterously and instinctively stumbling from one casino to another. So frenetic was the activity that two of them collided in mid-air with one tumbling to the ground; thankfully, as I approached stunned to get a better look and to see if there was anything that I could do for it, after a few seconds the temporarily dazed male woodpecker flew off.

So much do I admire and appreciate these “common” woodpeckers, I have a running joke with Maria about them. Every time that we approach the grove and there is one or more golden-fronted there, I say to Maria “I have never seen one of them before so I must try to get some pictures.” Thus, I have a few hundred pictures of them in our computer with many of them used as rotating screen savers and can’t wait to get more photos of these lively, noisy, colorful, and behaviorally fascinating sentient beings.