Melanerpes Aurifrons Bird

English Name:  Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Latin Name:  Melanerpes aurifrons
Protonym:  Picus Aurifrons Isis 22 col.512
Taxonomy:  Piciformes / Picidae / Melanerpes
Taxonomy Code:  gofwoo
Type Locality:  'Mexico'' = Hidalgo.
Author:  Wagler
Publish Year:  1829
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MELANERPES
(Picidae; Ϯ Red-headed Woodpecker M. erythrocephalus) Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; ἑρπης herpēs  creeper  < ἑρπω herpō  to crawl; "1. MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS. (Sw.)  Red-headed Woodpecker.   GENUS, Melanerpes*, SWAINS.   Sub-genus, (Typical form) SWAINS.   ...   This Woodpecker, so well known in the United States for the havoc it commits in the orchards, ranges in summer from the northern shores of Lake Huron to the Gulf of Mexico.   ...   *Th. μελας, niger, et ερπο, repo" (Swainson 1832); "Melanerpes Swainson, Fauna Bor.-Am., 2, 1831 (1832), p. 316. Type, by monotypy, Picus erythrocephalus Linné." (Peters 1948, VI, 157).
Var. Melanoherpes, Malanerpes.
Synon. Asyndesmus, Balanosphyra, Cactocraugus, Centurus, Chryserpes, Colombpicus, Leuconerpes, Leucopicus, Linneopicus, Melampicos, Meropicus, Phymatoblepharus, Trichopicus, Trichopipo, Tripsurus, Zebrapicus.

aurifrons
L. aurum, auri  gold; frons, frontis  forehead, brow, front.
● ex “Petit merle de la côte de Malabar” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Yellow-fronted Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Chloropsis).
● ex “Jaquilma Parrakeet” of Latham 1802 (Psilopsiagon).

SUBSPECIES

Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Northern)
Latin Name: Melanerpes aurifrons aurifrons
aurifrons
L. aurum, auri  gold; frons, frontis  forehead, brow, front.
● ex “Petit merle de la côte de Malabar” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Yellow-fronted Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Chloropsis).
● ex “Jaquilma Parrakeet” of Latham 1802 (Psilopsiagon).

Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Velasquez's)
Latin Name: Melanerpes aurifrons [santacruzi Group]
MELANERPES
(Picidae; Ϯ Red-headed Woodpecker M. erythrocephalus) Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos  black; ἑρπης herpēs  creeper  < ἑρπω herpō  to crawl; "1. MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS. (Sw.)  Red-headed Woodpecker.   GENUS, Melanerpes*, SWAINS.   Sub-genus, (Typical form) SWAINS.   ...   This Woodpecker, so well known in the United States for the havoc it commits in the orchards, ranges in summer from the northern shores of Lake Huron to the Gulf of Mexico.   ...   *Th. μελας, niger, et ερπο, repo" (Swainson 1832); "Melanerpes Swainson, Fauna Bor.-Am., 2, 1831 (1832), p. 316. Type, by monotypy, Picus erythrocephalus Linné." (Peters 1948, VI, 157).
Var. Melanoherpes, Malanerpes.
Synon. Asyndesmus, Balanosphyra, Cactocraugus, Centurus, Chryserpes, Colombpicus, Leuconerpes, Leucopicus, Linneopicus, Melampicos, Meropicus, Phymatoblepharus, Trichopicus, Trichopipo, Tripsurus, Zebrapicus.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker (West Mexico)
Latin Name: Melanerpes aurifrons polygrammus
polygramma / polygrammica / polygrammicum / polygrammus
Gr. πολυγραμμος polugrammos  white-streaked (originally a white-streaked jasper), marked with many stripes  < πολυς polus  much; γραμμη grammē  stroke, writing  < γραφω graphō  to write.