The buff-rumped woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in southern Myanmar, Thailand, Malaya, Sumatra and Borneo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously considered conspecific with the zebra woodpecker.
Region
Mainland Southeast Asia and Sundaland
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Myanmar and western/southern Thailand through the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo. It inhabits primary and well-structured secondary lowland forests, including dipterocarp and mixed evergreen forest. The species also uses forest edges, selectively logged forest, and older plantations with large trees. It typically forages on trunks and larger branches in the lower to mid-canopy, and occasionally near forest edges or along rivers.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small Southeast Asian woodpecker, the buff-rumped woodpecker is named for its distinctive pale buff rump that contrasts with heavily barred upperparts. It often forages quietly on trunks and larger branches, frequently joining mixed-species flocks. The species was formerly lumped with the zebra woodpecker, which is now treated as a separate species. It relies on lowland forests, making it sensitive to extensive habitat loss in Sundaland.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short undulating flights with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly, in pairs, or small family groups, and often associates with mixed-species foraging flocks. Excavates nest cavities in dead or decaying wood, usually at modest heights. Both sexes participate in cavity excavation and incubation, with a small clutch typical of woodpeckers.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, consisting of thin, high-pitched calls and short series of squeaky notes. Drumming is weak and brief compared to larger woodpeckers, often just a few rapid taps used in close-range communication.
Plumage
Heavily barred black-and-buff upperparts with a conspicuous pale buff rump; underparts finely streaked or barred. Crown and nape dark with fine patterning; tail short and stiff. Overall appearance compact with a short, chisel-like bill.
Diet
Feeds primarily on ants, termites, beetle larvae, and other wood-boring insects. Probes and pecks at bark, crevices, and dead wood, and occasionally pries off flaky bark to reach prey. Will take small arthropods from vines and bamboo when available. Rarely, it may consume small amounts of sap or fruit while foraging.
Preferred Environment
Forages on trunks and thicker branches in lowland and hill foothill forests, including selectively logged forest. Often uses quieter interior forest as well as edges and riparian corridors where dead wood is available.
