Animalia Life

Celeus brachyurus
SUBFAMILY
Picinae
TAXONOMY
Picus brachyurus Vieillot, 1818. Nine subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Pic brun; German: Rostspecht; Spanish: Carpintero Rufo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
8.3–9.8 in (21–25 cm), 1.9–4.0 oz (55–114 g); a reddish brown woodpecker with black barring on rufous back, wings, tail, and flanks; reddish eye; male with a red cheek, female without; juveniles like adults but sometimes more, sometimes less barring.
DISTRIBUTION
Southeast Asia from southwest India and Sri Lanka to Nepal, southern China, Hainan, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java; several disjunct and island populations resulting in considerable variation recognized as subspecies.
HABITAT
Lowland forest to 5,580 ft (1,700 m) in some areas; occupies a diversity of forest types, including bamboo, mangroves, and scrub, as well as both primary and secondary evergreen and deciduous forest.
BEHAVIOR
A shy bird usually found away from people; found in pairs; seems to prefer open forest, but seeks shaded areas; very vocal.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages throughout the forest, sometimes in mixed species flocks. Feeds extensively on tree-dwelling ants and other insects; also takes fruits, nectar, and sap.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Male and female share excavation of nest, often in a nest of tree ants; clutch usually of 2–3 shiny white eggs incubated by both sexes for 12–14 days; young fed by regurgitation.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

Other popular Animals