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News: The bay woodpecker gained attention through research linking its call with rainfall patterns and healthy forests in Darjeeling.
About Bay Woodpecker or Blythipicus pyrrhotis
- The Bay Woodpecker (Blythipicus pyrrhotis) is a medium-sized woodpecker species belonging to the Picidae family.
- Ecological role: It acts as an ecological indicator of healthy and functioning forest ecosystems.
- In rural Darjeeling, communities predict the arrival of rains with the call of this bird.
- Habitat: The bird lives in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, evergreen forests, mixed deciduous forests, and heavily wooded ravines with dense growth.
- Distribution: The species is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Characteristics:
- Appearance: The bird has a rich reddish-chestnut brown body with black banding on the wings and tail, a paler brown head, and a long bright yellow bill.
- Size and weight: It measures 26.5–30 cm in length and weighs around 126–170 g.
- Sexual Dimorphism: Only the male has a red patch on the back of the head, while the female has a paler head and a shorter bill.
- Vocalization: The bird gives a loud descending call resembling falling laughter and also produces a long dry rattle for contact between mates.
- Diet: Its diet mainly includes ants, termites, wood-boring beetles, and occasionally berries.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)
