Yellow-fronted Woodpecker

Yellow-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes flavifrons

Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Iguaçu National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

712 Verified sightings at Iguaçu National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,620 In all 4 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker

The yellow-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. It is a fairly common bird with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified its conservation status as "least concern".

This colourful woodpecker is about 18 cm (7 in) long. The sexes are similar apart from the male having a red crown and nape, while this region in the female is bluish black. Both have a yellow fore-crown, cheeks, chin, and throat, and a broad, black band running from the base of the beak, across the eye to the nape. The mantle and upper wings are mainly black, and the back and rump are white. The tail is black with some white barring on the outer feathers. The breast is grey or olive, the belly red, and the flanks barred in black and white or black and buff. The iris is blue-black and the distinct orbital ring is yellowish or orange. The beak is black and the legs and feet olive brown. The juvenile is similar to the adult but less glossy and rather... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:08

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1150318 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:27

Argentina · 2026

© Marcos E. Sosa · XC1074215 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:30

Brazil · 2022

© GABRIEL LEITE · XC736789 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
3 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
4 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Goiânia 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 Santos 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-fronted Woodpecker in Iguaçu National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-fronted Woodpecker sighting in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, based on 712 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 65th most-seen of the 346 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Yellow-fronted Woodpecker in Iguaçu National Park?

August

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-fronted Woodpecker in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Yellow-fronted Woodpecker?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-fronted Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Iguaçu National Park the best place to see a Yellow-fronted Woodpecker?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Yellow-fronted Woodpecker sightings, Iguaçu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Iguazú National Park (Argentina, about 20%) and Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, under 5%).

Where does the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguaçu National Park (712 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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