Baluran National Park, Java (1 Viewer)

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Apr 24, 2020

• #1

In going through my old reports, I came across a sighting of Buff-rumped Woodpecker at Baluran. The race here is treated as a Javan endemic, White-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis by HBW.

I've checked ebird and there are no recent records of Buff-rumped at Baluran, just Sunda Woodpecker and I'm certain that I wouldn''t mistke one for the other, they are quite different.

Habitat preference is given as.......'Primary and secondary forests, including rather open coastal habitats', the bit in bold fits Baluran.

So my question is, has anyone else recorded Buff-rumped Woodpecker at Baluran?

 

temmie

Well-known member

• Apr 24, 2020

• #2

Have you considered a female Grey-and-buff (ssp sordidus = Red-crested)?

No sightings for both White-rumped and Red-crested that I can find in Baluran, but sightings in e.g. Meru Betiri which has similar habitat.

Maybe James Eaton knows?

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Apr 24, 2020

• #3

I think you mean concretus , I suppose that's a possibility but that seems equally uncommon on Java.

I think that the crest on Grey and Buff is far more obvious than on Buff-rumped, the ground colour is different too and I think the habitat at Baluran is a better fit for tristis. I'd also like to think that this isn't a mistake I'd make.

I already spoke with Rob Hutchinson who is as confused as me!

 

Last edited: Apr 25, 2020

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Apr 25, 2020

• #4

Might have to bin this record, Buff-necked doesn't occur on Java either so it wasn't that.

 

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Apr 25, 2020

• #5

Buff-necked on Java is incredibly rare, for some reason. There are very few recent records, see https://www.researchgate.net/profil...s-tristis-in-East-Java-province-Indonesia.pdf

It's a very distinct taxon, on Java, and something that I would imagine is hard to forget. It's in good quality lowland forest, like at Meru Betiri. Baluran is more savanna forest, and I would be surprised if it was found there (though not beyond the realms of impossibility).

I've seen more Javan Green Magpies than these, on Java!

James

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Apr 25, 2020

• #6

James Eaton said:

Buff-necked on Java is incredibly rare, for some reason. There are very few recent records, see https://www.researchgate.net/profil...s-tristis-in-East-Java-province-Indonesia.pdf

It's a very distinct taxon, on Java, and something that I would imagine is hard to forget. It's in good quality lowland forest, like at Meru Betiri. Baluran is more savanna forest, and I would be surprised if it was found there (though not beyond the realms of impossibility).

I've seen more Javan Green Magpies than these, on Java!

James

Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments James but regarding habitat for 'White-rumped', HBW states

'Primary and secondary forests, including rather open coastal habitats', which is what Baluran is. Meru Betiri is in the East of Java, White-rumped is stated to be present in the West?

https://www.hbw.com/species/white-rumped-woodpecker-meiglyptes-tristis

I can't read the full thing because I don't subscribe.

Buff-necked isn't on Java and I would not mis-ID Sunda and hopefully not Grey and Buff either which seems equally rare on Java but is possibly the most likely cause of mis-ID?

I had no need to string this at the time as I was unaware of the status and it wasn't a tick but in all good conscience I'll have to delete it.

 

Last edited: Apr 25, 2020

DMW

Well-known member

• Apr 25, 2020

• #7

I've seen Grey-and-buff (split as Red-crested per HBW) several times on the lower slopes of Gunung Ijen in eastern Java - I don't think it's especially rare, there at least.

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Apr 25, 2020

• #8

DMW said:

I've seen Grey-and-buff (split as Red-crested per HBW) several times on the lower slopes of Gunung Ijen in eastern Java - I don't think it's especially rare, there at least.

Click to expand...

I can only take my lead from what HBW says.....

'Uncommon throughout range. Believed to be declining as a result of habitat loss'.

I'm confused by writngs that say White-rumped is confined to the West of Java, if that's the case, it's unsurprisng that they're not finding many in the East?

From Wiki.

' The White-rumped Woodpecker is endemic to Java in Indonesia where it occupies the western half of the island.'

Again, based on HBW, the habit at Baluran would fit very well.

 

Last edited: Apr 25, 2020

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Apr 25, 2020

• #9

Not all literature is correct, as it depends what sources they have consulted. The HBW woodpeckers accounts were published before Alive/Birdlife split the species, so it appears to have been copied across, as further down it references recent literature how it was absent in all 19 blocks of forest surveyed (did you read the link?).

On Java it is found only in good quality lowland forest, but not coastal poor forest.

Grey-and-buff (or Red-crested as it's known by HBW/Birdlife) is, however, a fairly common species in woodland on Java - I've seen it at many sites.

Your other option would be Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, D. analis.

James

 

DMW

Well-known member

• Apr 25, 2020

• #10

The range HBW gives is incorrect. Both species evidently occur in the far east of Java, and Baluran is probably within the potential range of either species. Whether there is suitable habitat for either at Baluran, I don't know. Given the erroneous distributions in HBW, I wouldn't necessarily pay too much attention to the descriptions of habitat either!

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Apr 25, 2020

• #11

Thanks all.