Rufous Woodpecker

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Photo by jweeyh
Singapore, January 2008

Micropternus brachyurus

Identification

Size-25cm
Medium size with short nuchal crest and short black bill together with rufous plumage marked with black bars on upperparts diagnostic.
Male has red cheek patch.

Distribution

The Indian subcontinent and southern China through South-East Asia to Greater Sundas.

Photo by kctsang
Singapore, August 2008

Taxonomy

Formerly placed in the genus Celeus.

Subspecies

There are 9 subspecies^[1]:

• M. b. humei:

• North-western India (Himachal Pradesh) to extreme western Nepal

• M. b. jerdonii:

• Central and southern peninsula India and Sri Lanka

• M. b. phaioceps:

• Central Nepal and eastern India to south-eastern Tibet, Burma, southern China and southern Thailand

• M. b. squamigularis:

• Southern peninsula Thailand to Sumatra, Bangka, Belitung and Nias islands

• M. b. brachyurus:

• Java

• M. b. badiosus:

• Borneo and North Natuna Islands

• M. b. fokiensis:

• Southern China and northern Vietnam

• M. b. holroydi:

• Hainan Island (southern China)

• M. b. annamensis:

• Laos, Cambodia and southern Vietnam

Habitat

Subspecies M. b. humei
Photo by Rajsurin
Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, India, Jan-2018

Forests,the forest edges,scrubs,plantations and gardens.

Behaviour

Frequents the canopy and middle story. Generally unobtrusive, sometimes very vocal. Excavates nest cavity in the nest of tree ants and its diet also includes ants.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. BF Member Observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rufous Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous_Woodpecker

Subspecies M. b. jerdonii
Photo by drkishore
Maredumilli, Andhra Pradesh, India, September-2018

External Links

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