Melanerpes santacruzi
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The golden-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in the southern United States (mostly Texas), Mexico and parts of Central America.
The golden-fronted woodpecker was formally described in 1829 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler under the binomial name Picus aurifrons. The specific epithet combines the Latin aurum, auri meaning "gold" with frons, frontis meaning "forehead", "brow" or "front". The type locality is the state of Hidalgo in south central Mexico. The golden-fronted woodpecker is now one of the 23 species placed in the genus Melanerpes that was introduced by the English ornithologist William Swainson in 1832.
Twelve subspecies are recognised, many of which are restricted to islands. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Velasquez's Woodpecker sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 288 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Velasquez's Woodpecker in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–March, June–July and September–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Velasquez's Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Velasquez's Woodpecker sightings, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 10%).
Same genus: Melanerpes
The closest relatives of the Velasquez's Woodpecker that you can see in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (genus Melanerpes, Melanerpes Woodpeckers) are Golden-fronted Woodpecker (about 70%) and Yucatán Woodpecker (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Velasquez's Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (6 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.
