Velasquez's woodpecker (Melanerpes santacruzi ) is a species of bird in the family Picidae usually considered conspecific with the golden-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons ). The IOC has split the species, but many other taxonomists have not, including the American Ornithological Society.
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It is endemic to southern Mexico and parts of Central America.There are eleven subspecies if the bird is considered distinct:
- M. s. polygrammus – (Cabanis, 1862): Oaxaca to Chiapas (southwest Mexico).
- M. s. grateloupensis – (Lesson, 1839): south Tamaulipas to Puebla & central Veracruz.
- M. s. veraecrucis – (Nelson, 1900): southern Veracruz to northern Guatemala.
- M. s. dubius – (Cabot, 1844): Yucatán Peninsula to Belize & northeastern Guatemala.
- M. s. leei – (Ridgway, 1885): Cozumel Island (off Mexico).
- M. s. santacruzi – (Bonaparte, 1838): south Chiapas to northern Nicaragua.
- M. s. hughlandi – (Dickerman, 1987): central Guatemala.
- M. s. pauper – (Ridgway, 1888): northern Honduras.
- M. s. turneffensis – (Russell, 1963): Turneffe Atoll (off Belize).
- M. s. insulanus – (Bond, 1936): Útila Island (off Honduras).
- M. s. canescens – (Salvin, 1889): Roatán & Barburat Islands (off Honduras).
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