Stripe-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos atratus Scientific name definitions

21–22 cm; 42–52 g. Male has whitish nasal tufts beneath dark lower forehead, bright red upper forehead to nape (rarely, some admixed yellow) with usually some black streaks, black hindneck; rest of head and neck white, usually with a few thin black streaks, black malar stripe expanding on side of neck and extending to upper breast side, whitish throat lightly streaked dark; upperparts black, broad white bars from lower mantle to upper rump, wing-coverts with large white sub­terminal spots (much smaller on lesser coverts); black flight-feathers barred white; uppertail black, white bars on outer 2, sometimes 3, feather pairs; pale greyish-yellow below, belly yellower, very broad long black streaks over entire area down to lower belly (occasionally absent on central belly), lower flanks slightly barred, undertail-coverts tipped bright red; long bill straight, chisel-tipped, horn-brown to dark grey or sometimes greenish, paler base; iris brown to brown-red; legs grey, often tinged blue or greenish. Differs from D. macei mainly in larger size, stronger bill, much heavier markings below. Female lacks red on head, has crown and nape entirely black. Juvenile duller than adult, greyer below with broader but more obscure streaks, vent more orangey, male with dark red on crown, female with a few red-tipped feathers in mid-crown.

C Bhutan (1 Spierenburg, P. (2005). Birds in Bhutan. Status and Distribution. Oriental Bird Club, Bedford, UK. Close ), NE Indian hills (N West Bengal, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram), and possibly also C & SE Bangladesh, to W, S & E Myanmar and S China (W & S Yunnan), and S to W & C Thailand, S Laos and SC Annam. Breeding recorded in 2009 in Uttarakhand state, Western Himalaya, N India (2 Chandra, T. and Bhatt, D. (2012). Stripe-breasted Pied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos atratus): first breeding record from Garhwal Himalaya, India. Tiger Paper. 39(3): 32. Close )

Open oak (Quercus) and pine (Pinus) woodland in hill evergreen forest; pine forest preferred, but edges of open broadleaved forest also occupied. Also occurs in cultivated areas and in clearings with scattered trees. Between 800 m and 2200 m, occasionally higher; to 1500 m in NE Indian hills.

Insects, particularly beetle larvae and ants. Seen singly, in pairs or in family parties. Forages mostly at middle to upper levels, but sometimes at lower levels. Pecking and hammering seem to be rather important feeding modes.

Explosive “tchick”  , and whinnying rattle call. Probably drums .

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Status in India uncertain, but appears to be uncommon; in Bangladesh, possibly rare to scarce, but no recent information. Rare in China (Yunnan). Fairly common but rather local in SE Asia. Occurs in Doi Inthanon and Nam Nao National Parks (Thailand).