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| The Eye-Catching Rhythm of the Forest – The Grey-Headed (Black-Naped) Woodpecker, Male |
| The Grey-Headed Woodpecker also known as the Grey-Faced Woodpecker, is a medium-sized Woodpecker with a wide range across Eurasia. It’s known for its distinctive grey head, a thin black moustache stripe, and varying plumage patterns depending on the subspecies and geographic location. Eating mostly insects, larvae, and occasionally fruits, these woodpeckers reveal a captivating foraging technique. They’re known to flit around tree trunks and branches, silently listening for concealed insect prey. Once detected, they use their strong beaks to chisel through the bark and extract their food with accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Grey-Headed Woodpecker is adorned with an eye-catching mix of grey and green feathers, enabling it to blend effortlessly into its surroundings. It is a medium-sized bird that has a length of only up to 28 to 33 cm in length and weighing between 143 to 165 gms. The Male nominate race has red forehead and forecrown, black hindcrown and nape (some grey streaks on hindcrown), black lores, short pale grey supercilium; rest of head light grey, with pale moustachial and malar stripes enclosing thin black submoustachial; upperparts rather dark green with golden tinge, brighter yellowish on rump; flight-feathers greyish-black to brownish-black, primaries with small whitish spots on outer (and sometimes inner) webs, secondaries with dull olive-green outer webs, outer feathers often with paler spots; uppertail greenish-brown with obscure paler bars; chin to uppermost breast grey, breast to vent dull green or greyish-green; bill fairly long, slightly chisel-tipped, rather broad-based, culmen moderately curved, blackish-brown to grey-black, usually with olive tinge; iris deep carmine-red with admixed white; legs olive-grey to yellowish-olive. Female has entire forehead and crown pale-streaked black. Juvenile is duller and greyer than adult, upperparts somewhat scaly-looking, underside with suggestion of darker barring. Within the wide distribution range of the species, several plumage and size differences are noted among the populations which have been designed as subspecies of which Ten subspecies are recognised; they divide into two groups, a Northern group of two subspecies where the nape is grey, and a South Eastern group of eight where the nape is black. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Grey-Headed WoodpeckerÂ’s distribution stretches across large parts of the Central and Eastern Palaearctic, all the way to the Pacific Ocean and South to the Himalaya and the Malay Peninsula. It is found in open country, in not over-dense forest, floodplain-forest, parks, orchards, gardens, deciduous trees Open Alder or Oak Forest in Nepal and North Myanmar, and open deciduous and coniferous country. Other habitats occupied by this species include bamboo groves mixed with second growth. It is found in lowlands up to 2000 mtrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… It eats ants, termites and their brood, Coleoptera larvae, spiders, nest contents of other birds, fruits, berries, seeds, nuts and acorns and nectar. It is solitary outside breeding season, else in pairs or small family parties. It regularly feeds on ground; probes into soil, pushing and digging with the bill, using the tongue to lick up prey. It digs funnel-shaped holes that are used repeatedly as sources of ants. It does arboreal foraging with single pecks, some excavation in decaying wood at low levels, and intensive use of the tongue at crevices and sites of decayed wood. It also licks from sap wells. It moves on ground with heavy hops. In late autumn and early winter, Grey-Headed Woodpeckers switch to including significant amounts of vegetable matter, such as berries and other fruits, in their diets on a regular basis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Grey-Headed Woodpecker has a single “kik” calls; “keek, kak-kak-kak-kak” calls common outside breeding season. Territorial call a descending sequence of up to 20 (usually fewer) clearly separated mournful “kiu” or “piew” notes, femaleÂ’s series usually shorter, more raucous, in Himalayas and perhaps elsewhere series also softer and less descending than those of European; series of low “dyook dyook” between partners at close distances; “kyak kyak kyak” in agonistic situations, and “wÃte-wÃte..” during body-swinging displays. Drums regularly in pre-breeding period, rolls longer than those of The Laced Woodpecker but rhythm slightly slower. ….. ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … … …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………….. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …………. ….. ………. …… ………… ………….. …… ……….. …… ………….. ………… ……….. Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornell Lab), Oiseaux, Birda, Animalia, Nepal Desk, Ogaclicks, Birds of India | Bird World, Bird Count India & Wiki. |
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