The grey-and-buff woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Myanmar, and southern Thailand, but has become regionally extinct in Singapore. Its natural habitats are lowland and montane tropical or subtropical moist broadleaf forests.
Region
Sundaland and southern Myanmar–Thailand
Typical Environment
Primarily inhabits primary and mature secondary lowland and hill dipterocarp forests, as well as forest edges and riparian corridors. It favors areas with standing deadwood, tangled vines, and bamboo where small branches and snags are abundant. Birds forage from the midstory to canopy, occasionally descending to lower levels along edges and clearings. It tolerates selectively logged forest if enough arboreal deadwood remains, but is scarce in fragmented or heavily degraded habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This tiny, short-tailed woodpecker has a distinctive pointed crest and a very compact, stubby silhouette. It often forages on thin dead branches and lianas, prying insects from bark and rotting wood with delicate taps rather than loud drumming. It occurs in Sundaland and adjacent southern Myanmar/Thailand and has vanished from heavily urbanized Singapore. Ongoing lowland forest loss is its main threat.
Female with grey forehead
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
undulating flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, and often joins mixed-species flocks in the canopy. Nests are excavated in soft or decaying wood, with both sexes contributing to cavity preparation. Pairs are likely monogamous within a season and maintain small territories during breeding.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, high-pitched pik notes and thin trills, given sporadically. Drumming is weak and brief, more of a light tap series than a resonant roll.
