The Sulu pygmy woodpecker, also known as the Sulu woodpecker, is a species of bird in the family Picidae. Formerly lumped with the Philippine pygmy woodpecker, it seems to form a superspecies with this and the Sulawesi pygmy woodpecker. Some taxonomic authorities continue to place this species in the genus Dendrocopos or Picoides.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland to foothill habitats of the Sulu Archipelago, using primary and secondary forest, forest edge, and wooded farmland. It readily forages in bamboo stands and coconut groves, and can persist in semi-degraded mosaic habitats if trees remain. Mangrove edges and riparian strips are also used locally. It is generally scarce and local within its small range.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Sulu pygmy woodpecker is a tiny woodpecker endemic to the Sulu Archipelago of the southern Philippines. It has been variably placed in Yungipicus, Dendrocopos, or Picoides, and forms a superspecies with the Philippine and Sulawesi pygmy woodpeckers. It often joins mixed-species flocks and forages deftly on thin branches, bamboo, and coconut palms.
Temperament
quiet, wary and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding, undulating flight
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, often joining mixed-species flocks in the canopy and midstory. Pairs maintain small territories and excavate nest cavities in dead limbs or soft snags. Clutch is tended by both sexes, with cooperative drumming and soft calls near the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched squeeks and short rattles, often given while foraging. Drumming is brief and light compared to larger woodpeckers, typically a soft, rapid burst.
Plumage
Fine, laddered upperparts with dark brown to blackish bars and pale buff to whitish bars; underparts buffy with narrow brown streaking. Head shows a contrasting pale supercilium and darker ear coverts. Male has a small red patch on the hindcrown or nape; female lacks red. Tail is dark with narrow white bars on the outer feathers.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods such as ants, beetles, caterpillars, and their larvae gleaned from bark and twigs. It probes crevices and scales loose bark, and occasionally hawks tiny insects in short sallies. Small amounts of fruit or nectar may be taken opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages on slender branches, bamboo culms, and palm trunks in forest edge, secondary woodland, and plantations. Often works the outer canopy and subcanopy, moving methodically along branches.
