Rufous Piculet
Sasia abnormis
Absolutely miniscule woodpecker. Tailless and round-bodied, resembling a wren or cupwing in shape. Olive above and orange below; lacks the white brow patch of White-browed Piculet. Forages in dense secondary growth from lowlands up into the foothills, often in bamboo stands. Clambers around in and flutters between low-lying vegetation, seldom high up in the canopy. Makes sharp squeaks somewhat resembling shoes rubbing on wet floors. Drums are surprisingly loud for its size.
Identification
The rufous piculet is a very small bird with short wings and an almost non-existent tail, ranging in length from 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in). The upper parts are generally green tinted with bronze, and the underparts rufous, orange or cinnamon, with paler flanks. The mantle and back are olive, the wings are brownish above, and the underwings are buff. The stumpy tail is blackish above, edged with olive. The sexes are different; the male has a yellow or golden patch on the forehead whereas the female has a bronze patch. They also differ in that the female has a larger beak. The upper mandible in both sexes is blackish and the lower mandible yellowish. The iris is reddish and there is a pinkish or purplish ring of bare skin around the eye. The legs and feet are yellowish or orange, and this piculet has just three toes on each foot, (four being normal in the woodpecker family). The juvenile is rather more grey.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Sasia abnormis
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1825)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Cettiidae
- Genus
- Sasia
Range and habitat
The rufous piculet is native to tropical southeastern Asia. Its range extends from southern Myanmar, through Thailand and the Malay Peninsula to the Greater Sunda Islands and Borneo. It is a resident and sedentary species, generally restricted to the lowlands and hills, but at altitudes of up to about 1,600 m (5,200 ft) in Borneo. Its typical habitat is dense humid secondary forests with tangled undergrowth, vines, creepers, bamboos and dead and rotting trees, often near streams.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The rufous piculet is an active bird moving singly or in small groups through the lowest storeys of the forest, usually not above 5 m (16 ft) from the ground. It forages on trunks and dead branches, on vines, in bushes, among bamboos and in tall grasses. It gleans scrupulously, probing into holes and pulling out insects with its long tongue. It sometimes works its way up a trunk in a crosswise fashion, making little flights so as to turn to face the other way, the several members of a group often working in synchrony. The diet consists of ants, their larvae, termites, small beetles, spiders and other small invertebrates.<p>In Borneo the breeding season is in February while in Malaysia, nestlings have been found in May and June. Sometimes the nest is in a hole in a dead branch, and at other times it may be in bamboo.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Plain-breasted Piculet
Picumnus castelnau
Relatively plain piculet found in dense riverine and secondary vegetation along the Amazon and its tributaries in Peru, barely making it into southernmost Colombia and westernmost Brazil. Plumage generally pale below with a brownish back. Note the dark spots in the ear coverts; the short, sharp bill; and the glossy red feathers in the male’s crown. Song is a very high-pitched series of thin whistles, dropping at the end.
Oriental Scops-Owl
Otus sunia
Smallish scops-owl with bright yellow eyes. Comes in grayish-brown and bright rufous morphs. Generally weakly marked, without any prominent features: note weak black border to the facial disc, thinly streaked underparts, and short ear tufts (often held flat). Song is a 3- to 4-note series of hollow-sounding notes, with the last two in rapid succession. Inhabits forests, gardens, and parks from lowlands up into foothills; often close to human habitation in parts of its range.
Gray-capped Warbler
Eminia lepida
Large, chunky, uniquely marked warbler. Note the black eye line, gray crown, maroon throat patch, olive-green back, and gray underparts. Skulks in the thick undergrowth of various habitats including forest, moist woodland, overgrown cultivation, and marsh. Often near water. Very loud and vocal. The song is an explosive and highly variable mix of pretty whistles and trills.
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