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]
Taxonomy
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]
Subspecies
There are two recognized subspecies of the black-headed woodpecker:[6]
Picus erythropygius nigrigenis (Hume, 1874) – Myanmar and Northwest-West Thailand.[2] This subspecies is more commonly found and can be identified by its black bill.[2]
Picus erythropygius erythropygius (Elliot, 1865) – Northeast Thailand and Indochina.[2] This subspecies has a white bill, as opposed to a black one.[7]
Distribution and habitat
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]
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]
Reproduction
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]
Flocks
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]
Parasites
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]
Status and Conservation
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]
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