27 Woodpeckers Of Vietnam

Woodpeckers of Vietnam – Picidae

With 27 species Woodpeckers of Vietnam, occurring over the country, more than half of them are really difficult to encounter. But each species in this family has a feather fur colorful and different from others so it can be said that this family is easy to ID if encountered in the field.

You may know: Vietnam is honored to record a species in the Woodpeckers family Great Slaty Woodpecker is known as the biggest Asian Woodpeckers.

The overview of Woodpeckers families

Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. Most species live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known that live in treeless areas, such as rocky hillsides and deserts, and the Gila woodpecker specializes in exploiting cacti.

Members of this family are chiefly known for their characteristic behavior. They mostly forage for insect prey on the trunks and branches of trees and often communicate by drumming with their beaks, producing a reverberatory sound that can be heard at some distance. Some species vary their diet with fruits, birds’ eggs, small animals, tree sap, human scraps, and carrion. They usually nest and roost in holes that they excavate in tree trunks, and their abandoned holes are of importance to other cavity-nesting birds. They sometimes come into conflict with humans when they make holes in buildings or feed on fruit crops, but perform a useful service by their removal of insect pests on trees.

The Picidae is one of nine living families in the order Piciformes, the others being barbets (comprising three families), toucans, toucan-barbets, and honeyguides, which (along with woodpeckers) comprise the clade Pici, and the jacamars and puffbirds in the clade Galbuli. DNA sequencing has confirmed the sister relationships of these two groups. The family Picidae includes about 240 species arranged in 35 genera. Almost 20 species are threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat or habitat fragmentation, with one, the Bermuda flicker, being extinct and a further two possibly being so

Woodpeckers of Vietnam Highlight Note

Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus

Status: Uncommon resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tour cover: South-East to Northern

Hotspot: Ba Vi, Da Lat, Kon Tum

Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus

Status: Scarce resident – Vulnerable

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: South-East & Central Vietnam

Hotspot: Da Lat, Yok Don, Cat Tien

Red-collared Woodpecker Picus rabieri

Status: Uncommon resident – Near Threatened

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: North of Central

Hotspot: Phong Nha – Ke Bang, Cuc Phuong

Darjeeling Woodpecker Dendrocopos darjellensis

Status: Resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Throughout

Hotspot: Sa pa- Fansipan

Black-headed Woodpecker  Picus erythropygius

Status: Local fairly common resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Throughout

Hotspot: Takou, Yokdon

Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus

Status: Local common resident (throughout)

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Throughout

Hotspot: Cat Tien, Yokdon

Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla

Status: Common breeding visitor

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: South & Central Highland

Hotspot: Cat Tien, Nui Dinh, Ma Da, Dalat

Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha

Status: Local common resident (throughout)

Best time to watch & Photo: Jun-Aug

Tours: Throughout

Hotspot: Ma Da, Tan Phu

Black-and-buff Woodpecker Meiglyptes jugularis

Status: Uncommon resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tour: South Vietnam

Hotspot: Cat Tien, Tan Phu

List of all Woodpeckers in Vietnam

All Vietnam Birds Families