Himalayan Woodpecker

Dendrocopos himalayensis (Jardine & Selby, 1831)

Himalayan Woodpecker, Dendrocopos himalayensis, is a woodpecker of the Himalayas from Afghanistan to western Nepal. It inhabits upland forest in the Palearctic region, including wet and dry stands with deciduous or coniferous trees, often where rhododendrons grow. It is a pied bird with glossy black upperparts, broad white panels on the back, and white or pale buff underparts and head. A black Y-shaped mark shows on the neck and cheeks, and the black marks below the eyes are distinctive. Males have a red crown, while females have a black one.

Order

Piciformes

Family

Picidae — Woodpeckers

Breeding range

Palearctic: ne Afghanistan to w Nepal