Brown-fronted woodpecker: Leiopicus auriceps (Formerly - Dendrocopos auriceps)

Brown-fronted woodpecker:
Leiopicus auriceps (Formerly - Dendrocopos auriceps)

Brown-fronted woodpecker: Leiopicus auriceps; Formerly - Dendrocopos auriceps.

IUCN Status:   Least Concern

Pangot, 4^th April, 2015.

Woodpeckers occupy a corner of my heart. In my childhood, golden flamebacks used to tattoo the trees outside the big viewing window in the verandah on the back portion of the house we lived in. Oh yes, those days I used to think Hoopoes were also woodpeckers! Both woodpeckers and Hoopoes were common daily visitors/residents. If I may add, with sparrows, spotted owlets, parakeets, peacocks, bulbuls and many more. How my city has changed since then! Today I drive distances to spot these very birds.

This gentleman was probably overcome by hunger to venture out in the thunderstorm that hailed, railed and rained down upon us through the previous night and morning of the photograph; and I was restless – overcome by ennui, chafing at being trapped-in by the constant rain. I decided to get my camera wet after all when I spotted this gent a little distance from my porch through the falling rain. To avoid rain in the photo – though that might have added a dimension – I stepped out from beneath the eaves and towards him. Woodpeckers, at least as far as my situation is concerned, are not seen often anymore in Delhi except in few remaining pockets of old trees arbours in the city. We both were hungry enough to be soaked.

Woodpeckers have stiff tail feathers which they use as 'stops' or additional props to keep them anchored steadily to the trunk as they climb or drill away into the tree. Clearly seen in this photo.

Details of the birds are as follows.

Gender:   Male

Age: Adult

Size: This is a smallish woodpecker and this specimen was about 15-17 cms in size. Maybe all curled up due to cold and rain. They can be up to 20 cms.

Characteristics of Male: White barred mantle – the upper back, so to speak; brownish forehead and forecrown; grey-white head; black moustachials continuing down on each side as patch on sides of breast; small black bill; black streaking on underparts; pinkish-red undertail coverts; all-black central tail feathers; red nape and yellow hindcrown;

Characteristics of Female:      dull yellow hindcrown and nape

Confusables:   with Yellow-crowned woodpecker – Yellow-crowned woodpecker has only two colours on crown and nape, spotted back instead of barred, and a red belly patch instead of a pink-red vent.

Habitat:   Subtropical and Temperate forests

Food:        Berries, Caterpillars, Fruit, Grubs, Insects, Larve, Worms

Nesting:   In hollows of dead trees or beneath fallen branches.

Call: Is described as chitter-chitter-chirrh-rh-rh. I haven't recorded its call but you may listen to it at Xeno-Canto (External Link).

Distribution: Resident – Mainly in Himalayas of Indian subcontinent; also Afghanistan, Balochistan, Nepal, Bhutan. Mainly India though.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:         Animalia

Phylum:   Chordata

Class:       Aves

Order:      Piciformes

Family:    Picidae

Genus:     Leiopicus

Species:   auriceps

Subspecies:      None

Change in Taxonomy: Leiopicus since 2014 References -Birdlife/IUCN/HBW. Three species in Leiopicus. Previously placed in  a large Genus - Dendrocopos. Dendrocopos auriceps, syn.: Leiopicus auriceps.

References: In addition to BirdLife/IUCN/HBW, also referred to Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp.

Photographed in Forests beyond Pangot, Uttarakhand, India on 4.4.2015.

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with Tamron 150-600mm lens.