Like a small version of Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Found in woodland, beach scrub, semi-open wooded habitats; usually less numerous than Golden-fronted. Yucatan populations of Golden-fronted Woodpecker very similar in plumage, but Yucatan Woodpecker has a much shorter bill, ‘egg-yolk’ yellow feathering around the bill base (vs. reddish on local Golden-fronteds), and relatively wider white barring on back (looks silvery at a distance, vs. blackish overall on Golden-fronted). Voice is quite different from Golden-fronted.