Brown-fronted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes auriceps
A common mid-sized woodpecker of the Himalayas. Note brownish forehead, dark cheek stripe, distinctive black barring on white back, and white spots on black shoulders and wings. The yellow head is bordered by red feathers in the male and by black feathers in the female. Often moves in mixed flocks with other species through open woodlands, gardens, and forest edges. Calls include a sharp “pic” and various nasal, mewing sounds.
Identification
A medium-sized, pied woodpecker with yellow in crown. White-barred (rather than spotted) black. Underparts, prominent black moustache extending to breast and black-streaked white underparts. Vent deep pink. In male forecrown brown, centre yellow, rear red with black rear neck. In female whole crown yellow.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Dendrocoptes auriceps
- Authority
- (Vigors, 1831)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Dendrocoptes
Range and habitat
Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Common Pauraque
Nyctidromus albicollis
Cryptically patterned nightbird; widespread and common in Central and South America, limited U.S. range. Found in shrubby woodlands. Patterned with gray, gold, and brown; note especially cinnamon cheeks and golden edges on back and wing feathers. In flight, note white outer tail feathers and white bar across the wings. Roosts on the ground during the day; actively hunts for insects at night. Song is a distinctive, rich, slightly buzzy "pur-WEEooo." Relatively long tail compared with other similar nightbirds.
Emperor Fairywren
Malurus cyanocephalus
The common fairywren of lowland and foothill forest edge and thickets. A small, long-tailed bird with a dark blue mask, a pale blue crown, and a cocked tail. Male has otherwise uniform deep blue plumage, and the female rufous brown upperparts with a white breast. Forages in small groups in thick undergrowth. Female similar to Wallace’s Fairywren but Emperor lacks the white wing bars and facial stripe. Song is a jumble of warbled notes, and call a dry “churr.”
Rusty-backed Spinetail
Cranioleuca vulpina
A small long-tailed bird found in gallery forests near water, mostly foraging in the understory. Rusty above and pale below with a white eyebrow. Similar to Yellow-chinned Spinetail, but has a pale (not black) lower mandible. The song, usually given as a duet, is a series of high-pitched notes.
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