Black-headed Woodpecker
Picus erythropygius
Eye-searingly bright woodpecker decked out in primary colors. Combination of black face, pale eyes, yellow throat, green wings, bright red rump, and white belly is unmistakable. Males also have a bright red crown patch. Prefers dry deciduous and coniferous forests, usually in the lowlands and foothills. Moves about in small noisy bands. Song is a rollicking, rhythmic series of rather dry, husky yelps, somewhat reminiscent of chickens or deranged laughing, that often starts up seemingly out of nowhere.
Identification
The black-headed woodpecker is a medium-sized bird at around 33 cm tall and 100-135g. Adult birds have very distinct plumage and have a black face, yellow throat, green wings, a red lower back, and a white stomach. They also have white/yellow eyes and some individuals have a thin white line from their eye to their neck. Males have a red crown, while females have a completely black crown with no red. Juveniles are less pigmented than adults and juvenile males have fewer red crown feathers on their heads.
Taxonomy
The black-headed woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae and the genus Picus. They have been considered to be most closely related to the European green woodpecker (P. viridis) and the grey-headed woodpecker (P. canus). However, recent studies have challenged this original phylogenetic relationship.<p>There are two recognized subspecies of the black-headed woodpecker:
- Scientific name
- Picus erythropygius
- Authority
- (Elliot, DG, 1865)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Picus
Range and habitat
Black-headed woodpeckers are found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. They are most commonly found in the mid-story and sub-canopy of deciduous and coniferous forests. They usually prefer dry dipterocarp forests, semi-evergreen forests, riverine forests, and savanna forests. They are also resident birds.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Black-headed woodpeckers, like most woodpeckers, are insectivorous and glean insects on the bark of trees. They most commonly consume termites, but they also eat ants and other insects and invertebrates.<p>Their song is a loud series of yelps that sound similar to laughing. These yelps ("ka-tek-a-tek-a-tek-a-tek" or "cha-cha-cha, cha-cha-cha") are rapidly repeated and the first note is emphasized.<p>Little is known about their reproduction, but they reproduce between February–June and nest within trees. They also have around 3-4 eggs. In a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai, their nests were occupied in May.<p>Black-headed woodpeckers are usually found in groups with other bird species. These bird waves consist of larger flock sizes, which allow birds to worry less about predators and spend more time foraging. Black-headed woodpeckers are typically found in flocks with white-crested laughingthrushes (Garrulax leucolophus), lesser necklaced laughingthrushes (Garrulax monileger), and greater racket-tailed drongos (Dicrurus paradiseus). In these flocks, black-headed woodpeckers, along with the other birds, produce alarm calls when predators approach.<p>The black-headed woodpecker is vulnerable to many parasites, including avian haemoproteid parasite, Haemoproteus bennetti, which has been detected in its blood. They are also susceptible to Picidae-specific parasites, including chewing lice, Picicola roberti, and quill mites, Picobia heeri, which inhabit the feather quills.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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