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| The Rufous-Brown Drummer of Verdant Forests – The Rufous Woodpecker, Female |
| The Rufous Woodpecker is an odd medium-sized brown woodpecker native to South and South-East Asia. It is short billed Woodpecker, foraging in pairs on small insects, particularly ants and termites, in scrub, evergreen, and deciduous forests and is noted for building its nest within the carton nests of arboreal ants. Overall coloration and wing markings vary considerably across a wide range. Males have a red patch under the eye. Gives a range of loud, insistent calls, including a sharp weep weep weep! Distinctive drum accelerates then trails off. Forages throughout the levels of the forest, often with mixed-species flocks. Frequently drills into ant nests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Rufous Woodpecker has an overall dark brown with dark bands on the feathers of the wing and tail giving it a black-barred appearance. The head appears paler and underparts are of a darker shade. It is a medium-sized bird that has a length of only up to 21to 25 cm in length and weighing between 92 to 114 gms. Male has dark brown forehead to nape and short crest, broad red feather tips beneath eye back to front of ear-coverts, dark throat with buff feather tips; rest of head and body plumage dark rufous to chestnut, upperparts very narrowly barred black, flanks to undertail-coverts with widely spaced thin black bars, belly sometimes with thin broken bars; wings similar to upperparts; tail also narrowly dark-barred, broader black tips; underwing rufous, barred black; short bill, culmen slightly curved, rather narrow-based, dark grey, blacker tip; iris reddish to brown, narrow orbital skin grey; legs blue-grey or bluish-green to brown. Female lacks red on side of head. Juvenile as adult, variably barred, often less heavily, or sometimes with bars extending to breast. 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 about Ten are widely recognized. The Sub-Species Phaioceps found in Eastern Himalayas from Central Nepal to Myanmar, Yunnan and Southern Thailand, is large, rather dark rufous, with brownish head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Rufous Woodpecker is widely distributed in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, India, Vietnam and Southern China. It is found in primary forest and secondary forest, both evergreen and deciduous, open forest, secondary growth, forest edge and scrub preferred. Habitats include Sal Forest, and has strong liking for bamboo jungle, at least locally. May also visit reedbeds and mangroves. Mostly well away from human habitations in some areas; may be found in plantations, palm groves and gardens in others. It is found Resident from plains up to 1740 mtrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… It eats ants and their brood, termites and vegetable matter eaten like fruits, nectar and sap. It stays in pairs; sometimes with mixed-species flocks. It forages at all levels, including high canopy of tall forest, and occasionally on ground. It perches crosswise on twigs. It searches vines, trunks, branches, twigs, bamboo; on ground, in small termite mounds or anthills, even in cow-pats; also explores rotting logs for food. The chief feeding techniques are gleaning and probing. It also pecks at insect nests from a perch close by; clings at nest, tears it apart, gleans ants that swarm out, also picking them from its plumage and feet. It also punctures banana stems to feed on the oozing sap. It is very active, almost constantly on the move, remains at a site only if abundant food source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Rufous Woodpecker has a highly vocal: series of three nasal kweep or keenk notes delivered in less than 1 second (sometimes pause before final note), reminiscent of calls of Common Myna; in encounters 4 to 5 kweek notes, some perhaps similar to variable whi-chi in same context; slightly falling accelerating series 2 seconds long of up to 16 notes, may be repeated several times, probably as territorial announcement and contact between pair-members. Drumming highly distinctive, single roll 1·5 to 5 seconds long, slows gradually to halt like stalling motorcycle engine, bdddd-d-d-ddt, rolls 2 to 3 minutes apart, delivered commonly, often on bamboo, by both sexes. . . ….. ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … … …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………….. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …………. ….. ………. …… ………… ………….. …… ……….. …… ………….. ………… ……….. 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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