Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) [XC548241]
by id from Esquipulas, Quepos. Puntarenas, Costa Rica (call, song)
Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) [XC490149]
by Hans Matheve from Rincon, Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica (call)
Subspecies
Melanerpes chrysauchen (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) and Beautiful Woodpecker (Melanerpes pulcher) following SACC (2005).
Sometimes placed in a separate genus Tripsurus, along with Black-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani), Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons). Forms a superspecies with Black-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani), or both sometimes included in the superspecies represented by last two. Distinctive subspecies pulcher geographically isolated, sometimes treated as separate species.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
chrysauchen Salvin, 1870 - South-western Costa Rica to western Panama.
pulcher P. L. Sclater, 1870 - Northern Colombia (Magdalena Valley). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Beautiful Woodpecker (Melanerpes pulcher).