White-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes cactorum Scientific name definitions

White-fronted Woodpecker is an unusual species, and perhaps this is expected as many Melanerpes are “oddballs” in the woodpecker world. As the scientific name implies, this species is partial to cacti, in particular large tree-like cacti that are large enough for them to use as breeding plants. In much of the range of this species, it is absolutely always near large cacti. Curiously the species appears to be spreading to the south and to the east in Buenos Aires province, Argentina and in W Uruguay, and it is spreading into areas without large cacti. Here it seems to make do with other tree species, although the habitat relationships are unstudied here where the range is spreading. It is unusual in that it is a very confiding woodpecker, easy to see where it is plentiful, and it is found in groups of 3-5. The breeding biology is unstudied, but the group size suggests that there are helpers at the nest in this species, as does the way that when together these woodpeckers often keep very short inter-individual distances, they can perch nearly touching each other. In many ways they recall Acorn Woodpeckers of farther north, although not as showy and noticeable, White-fronted Woodpeckers are definitely subdued in their behavior. They also like to keep low, often close to the ground or to eye level, not working up high in trees, even when these are available. White-fronted Woodpeckers are gorgeous, a bird that looks much more vividly colored in life than in field guides. The most obvious character is the bright lemon yellow throat, outlined in white, contrasting with the white forehead and black face.

c. 16–18 cm; 29–53 g. Male has white forehead and forecrown, lores, moustachial region and lower ear-coverts; small partly concealed patch of red near front of central crown (sometimes totally concealed); otherwise blue-black from central crown to hindcrown, narrowly around eye and back through upper ear-coverts, continuing down neck side to mantle; white nape faintly tinged buff or yellow  , pure white on hindneck; chin and throat white (mostly in S), or partly yellow, or entirely yellow or golden (mostly in Bolivia and W Argentina); glossy blue-black mantle and scapulars, broad white or buff-white streaks down mantle centre (feathers with one web white, other black), white back to uppertail-coverts barred or spotted black; black wing-coverts glossed blue, greaters spotted and tipped white, medians with black-spotted white distal half; flight-feathers blackish, primaries browner, white bars on both webs of secondaries and tertials and on bases of primaries; uppertail black, tipped white (when fresh), all feathers barred white; buff below, belly paler and greyer, lower flanks and undertail-coverts barred; underwing  brown, barred white, coverts whiter and unbarred; undertail brownish-black, barred white; relatively short bill almost straight, slightly chisel-tipped, broad across nostrils, black or grey-black; iris brown to red-brown; legs slate-coloured. Female smaller, shorter-billed than male, lacks red spot on crown . Juvenile  browner, less glossy above , more barred below, both sexes with some orange-red on crown centre.

C & SE Bolivia (S from Cochabamba and Santa Cruz) to W Paraguay and N Argentina (S to La Rioja, NE San Luis and NW Entre Ríos, E to W Corrientes), and S Brazil (SW Mato Grosso, W Mato Grosso do Sul; Rio Grande do Sul) (1 Pereira, M.S., Borba, M.S. and Fontana, C.S. (2013). Nova localidade de registro de Melanerpes cactorum no Brasil e primeiro registro para o Rio Grande do Sul. Atualidades Orn. 173: 4–5. In Portuguese. Close ).

Dry forest; frequents forest edge, savanna, gallery forest, bush country (Chaco), montane scrub; associates with cacti (Cereus). Also found in palm groves with trees. From lowlands to 1700 m, locally to 2500 m in Bolivia.

Diet includes insects and fruits; ants apparently important, beetles also recorded. Recorded predating an egg of Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata). Some food cached. During cold dry season (Jun–Sept), regularly drills holes in e.g. mesquite (Prosopis) to take exuding sap; in one study in Argentina, sap-feeding comprised 16–83% of observations of foraging in Jun–Jul. Usually in groups  of 3–5 birds. Forages on palms, trunks and branches; also on cacti ; gleans and probes.

Loud “weep-weep” and “wee-beep”, resembling call of Sphyrapicus varius; faster renditions when displaying. Short, weak drumrolls near hole early in breeding season.

Sept–Dec. Co-operative breeder in groups of up to 5 or more birds; possibly loosely colonial. Bowing displays observed, with much calling. Nest excavated in dead tree , palm  or cactus. cactus No other information.

Not globally threatened. Reasonably common in much of range; locally very common in Argentina; rare in Peru. Occurs in Chancaní and Monte de las Barrancas Reserves (Argentina). Probably secure, but conservation status difficult to assess in absence of data.