Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae
Genus
Melanerpes
 
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Version 1.0

This is a historic version of this account.  Current version

SPECIES

Golden-naped Woodpecker Melanerpes chrysauchen

Ming Alexander and Carole S. Griffiths
Version: 1.0 — Published August 16, 2012

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Vocalizations

A frequent call of Golden-naped Woodpecker is a resonant churr with a peculiar, pleasant quality; this call often is given with a deep bow (Skutch 1969). This call becomes lower and drier when the bird is agitated (Skutch 1969). Another call is "a short, loud, rattling or laughing trill, 3-5 times in rapid succession on the same pitch" (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

For a representative audio recording with sonogram, see audio

Nestlings utter a "sharp, buzzy squeak, or a loud sizzling sound" (Skutch 1969).

Additional audio recordings of vocalizations of Golden-naped Woodpecker can be heard at Macaulay Library and at xeno-canto.

Nonvocal Sounds

Both sexes drum occasionally; the drum is described as "a short tatoo" (Skutch 1969).

Recommended Citation

Alexander, M. and C. S. Griffiths (2012). Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.gonwoo1.01