About The Golden-fronted Woodpecker
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker resides in central Texas. It can also be found in the temperate and tropical regions of North America and as far north as southwestern Oklahoma. It measures around 9 to 10 inches long with a wingspan of 17 inches. It weighs about 2 to 4 ounces. It is considered a medium-sized woodpecker. It has deep reddish brown eyes and grayish black bill. It has grayish head, breast and flanks. Its nape is yellow-orange, rear is white and the back is barred with black and white. The male and female have the same plumage but the male has a red crown.
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker Nesting Preference
Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are cavity nesters. The male digs up a nest in a dead or live tree. The nest is a bulky collection of bark chips. The female lays 4 to 7 white eggs. The male incubates at night and the female during the day. The eggs are hatched between 12 to 14 days. Both parents care for the young. After 22 to 27 days, the fledglings leave the nest.
Building a Birdhouse For The Golden-fronted Woodpecker
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker prefers a birdhouse with rough interiors and the floor covered with wood chips. The floor size is approximately 6 inches wide x 6 inches long and 14 inches high. The entrance hole is 2 inches in diameter and located 11 inches above the floor. The birdhouse should be placed 8-20 feet above the ground in a tree cavity, utility or fence post or at the edge of open woods.
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker Mating Habits
Golden-fronted Woodpeckers tend to be solitary nesters. They generally do not nest near others. They form monogamous breeding pairs. The male usually mates with a single female and share parental responsibilities.
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker Feeding Preferences
This bird’s diet consists of both insects and plants. It feeds on ants, flies, grasshoppers, beetle larvae, frogs and ants. Plants consumed consist of fruits, berries, seeds, nuts and corn. It frequently forages on low trees and sometimes on the ground. It also store food for the winter, usually acorns, nuts, seeds and at times insects.
Interesting Golden-fronted Woodpecker Facts
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is composed of four subspecies that differ in size, amount of barring on the tail and the color of the nape, nasal tufts and belly. Golden-fronted Woodpeckers found in Texas and most of Mexico have yellow to orange napes, red napes in the Yucatan Peninsula and orange farther north. The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is a lively and noisy bird that loves to perch for minutes at the top of a tall tree or in a telephone pole where it can obtain a good view of its surroundings. They scour for food not by pecking or hammering into trees but by scavenging insects and insect larvae from the surface of trees and along the ground. Their preference for insects and insect larvae provide natural control for insect pets. They frequent woods in dry country and river bottoms with trees. During summer in Texas, their faces become stained purple from eating the fruits of the pear cactus.