Animalia Life
Mulleripicus pulverulentus
SUBFAMILY
Picinae
TAXONOMY
Picus pulverulentus Temminck, 1826, Java and Sumatra. Two
subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Pic meunier; German: Puderspecht; Spanish: Pico
Pizarro.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
19–20 in (48–50 cm); 12.7–20 oz (360–563 g). The largest Old
World woodpecker; “lanky” in appearance; male is gray on top
of the head and hind neck, with a slight crest, a pale red
“moustache,” yellow-white throat with red-tipped feathers, and
the rest of the body dark gray, darkest on the wings and tail;
female is similar, but lacks the red; immature is dark gray
tinged with brown.
DISTRIBUTION
Northern India to southwest China, Southeast Asia to Sumatra,
Java, Borneo, and Philippines. M. p. pulverulentus, Malayasia,
Sumatra, Riouw Archipelago, Java, Borneo, North Natuna
Islands, east to Palawan; M. p. harterti, India, Nepal, east to
southwestern China and Indochina.
HABITAT
Extensive forested areas, including second growth, up to about
1,000 feet (300 m).
BEHAVIOR
Nonmigratory; often seen in pairs or small (family?) groups;
voice described as “almost honking” to a distinctive whinny;
flight is less undulating than smaller woodpeckers. Displays include
head-swinging with both wings and tail extended; drums
loudly.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages mostly in tall trees, where it excavates larvae of woodboring
beetles and other arthropods, but also feeds on ants on
the ground and occasionally hawks flying ants and other insects.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Nests from March through August; both sexes excavate nest
cavity, but male dominates; nest is generally high (27–135 ft;
8.2–41 m), dug into very large stubs or branches. Clutch includes
2–4 eggs; no data on incubation period or age at fledging;
both sexes incubate and care for young; young may remain
with parents until next nesting season.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened, but uncommon to rare (e.g., Java and Sumatra),
and threatened locally by deforestation.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known, but probably eaten when accessible.
Photo Gallery of - Great slaty woodpecker
