| Black-headed woodpecker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Picus |
| Species: | P. erythropygius |
| Binomial name | |
| Picus erythropygius (Elliot, 1865) | |
The black-headed woodpecker (Picus erythropygius) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It typically inhabits deciduous and coniferous forests and is found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The black-headed woodpecker is a medium-sized bird at around 33 cm tall and 100-135g. [2] Adult birds have very distinct plumage and have a black face, yellow throat, green wings, a red lower back, and a white stomach. [3] They also have white/yellow eyes and some individuals have a thin white line from their eye to their neck. [2] Males have a red crown, while females have a completely black crown with no red. [2] Juveniles are less pigmented than adults and juvenile males have fewer red crown feathers on their heads. [2]
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). [4] However, recent studies have challenged this original phylogenetic relationship. [5]
There are two recognized subspecies of the black-headed woodpecker: [6]
Black-headed woodpeckers are found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. [1] They are most commonly found in the mid-story and sub-canopy of deciduous and coniferous forests. [3] [8] They usually prefer dry dipterocarp forests, semi-evergreen forests, riverine forests, and savanna forests. [9] [8] [10] They are also resident birds. [2]
Black-headed woodpeckers, like most woodpeckers, are insectivorous and glean insects on the bark of trees. [11] They most commonly consume termites, but they also eat ants and other insects and invertebrates. [2] [11]
Their song is a loud series of yelps that sound similar to laughing. [3] 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. [2]
Little is known about their reproduction, but they reproduce between February–June and nest within trees. [2] They also have around 3-4 eggs. [2] In a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai, their nests were occupied in May. [12]
Black-headed woodpeckers are usually found in groups with other bird species. [2] These bird waves consist of larger flock sizes, which allow birds to worry less about predators and spend more time foraging. [13] Black-headed woodpeckers are typically found in flocks with white-crested laughingthrushes (Garrulax leucolophus), lesser necklaced laughingthrushes (Garrulaxmonileger), and greater racket-tailed drongos (Dicrurus paradiseus). [9] [13] In these flocks, black-headed woodpeckers, along with the other birds, produce alarm calls when predators approach. [11]
The black-headed woodpecker is vulnerable to many parasites, including avian haemoproteid parasite, Haemoproteus bennetti, which has been detected in its blood. [14] They are also susceptible to Picidae-specific parasites, including chewing lice, Picicola roberti, and quill mites, Picobia heeri, which inhabit the feather quills. [15] [16]
The black-headed woodpecker is currently classified as least concern, but populations are decreasing. [1] This is mostly due to habitat destruction caused by human settlements and agricultural fields. [17]
In 2003, the black-headed woodpecker was declared a protected wildlife species by the Thai government. [18] The species is also found in many wildlife sanctuaries across Thailand. [19] [20]
