Golden-naped Woodpecker

Golden-naped Woodpecker

Melanerpes chrysauchen

Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Marino Ballena National Park
408 Verified sightings at Marino Ballena National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,926 Verified sightings across all 8 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Golden-naped Woodpecker

The golden-naped woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. The species is very closely related to the beautiful woodpecker, which is sometimes treated as the same species. The two species, along with several other species, are sometimes placed in the genus Tripsurus.

It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama, where it is found on the Pacific slopes of those countries. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "least concern".

The golden-naped woodpecker grows to a length of about 18 cm (7 in). It is similar in appearance to the beautiful woodpecker but their ranges do not overlap. The sexes are similar apart from the male having a yellow fore-crown and a red central-crown, while the whole crown of the female is yellow except for a narrow central transverse black band. Both sexes have a yellow nape, and a black mask surrounding the eyes and running to the nape. There is a small white patch behind the eye. The lores, cheeks, chin, throat and breast are pale yellow,... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
2 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
3 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
4 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
7 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
8 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Golden-naped Woodpecker in Marino Ballena National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-naped Woodpecker sighting in Marino Ballena National Park, based on 408 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Golden-naped Woodpecker in Marino Ballena National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Golden-naped Woodpecker in Marino Ballena National Park in our monthly data.

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