Yucatán Woodpecker
Melanerpes pygmaeus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusMelanerpes (Melanerpes Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesMelanerpes pygmaeus (Yucatán Woodpecker)
About the Yucatán Woodpecker
The Yucatan woodpecker (Melanerpes pygmaeus) 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.
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.
The plumage of the Yucatan woodpecker is very similar in appearance to that of the golden-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons), which is also found throughout the entire Yucatán Peninsula. It can be very difficult to distinguish between these two species in the field. The golden-fronted woodpecker — which is much more common than the Yucatan woodpecker... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes aurifrons
Velasquez's Woodpecker
Melanerpes santacruzi
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Melanerpes pucherani
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Campephilus guatemalensis
Lineated Woodpecker
Dryocopus lineatus
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Celeus castaneus
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Colaptes rubiginosus
Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus fumigatus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yucatán Woodpecker in Tikal National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yucatán Woodpecker sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yucatán Woodpecker in Tikal National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Yucatán Woodpecker in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.