Birds · La Saladita, Guerrero

Golden-cheeked Woodpecker

Melanerpes chrysogenys

Spanish: Carpintero enmascarado

Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys)
Photographed by leo_borree on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

The golden-cheeked woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to Mexico, in the western, and southwestern coastal strip on the Pacific Ocean, and the western bordering regions of mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. They are distributed in the coast from Sinaloa to Colima.

TaxonomyAves › Piciformes › Picidae
Local records153 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records5,693 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2026 – 2026
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Birds guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/melanerpes-chrysogenys/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.