Piciformes / Picidae / Leiopicus
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker
Leiopicus mahrattensis · 黄额斑啄木鸟
Introduction
A woodpecker species in the family Picidae. It is the only species in the genus Leiopicus, which was introduced by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854. It is closely related to woodpeckers in the genus Dendrocoptes. Found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
Description
A medium-small woodpecker measuring 17.5 cm (6.9 inches) in length and weighing 28-46 grams (1-1.6 ounces). It has a pale head and pied plumage. The upperparts are black with heavy white spotting and barring. The underparts are dark with dingy white streaking and a distinctive red belly patch. It features irregular brown patches on the cheeks and neck. Males have a scarlet nape and yellow forecrown, while females have a yellowish crown and nape.
Identification
Males are distinguished by scarlet nape and yellow forecrown, while females show yellowish crown and nape without red. The combination of pale head, pied plumage, dark underparts with red belly patch, and irregular brown cheek and neck patches helps distinguish it from similar species.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Leiopicus
Subspecies (2)
-
Leiopicus mahrattensis mahrattensis
India and Sri Lanka to Myanmar, southwestern China, eastern Cambodia, and southern Laos
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
