Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: White-browed Brown Woodpecker
- Scientific name: Sasia ochracea, White-browed piculet
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Family and genus: Order Vulpecula, Family Woodpeckers, Genus *Brown Woodpecker*
Vital signs data
- Body length: 8-9 cm
- Weight: 11-12g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
Native species distribution: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam.
The White-browed Brown Woodpecker is mainly distributed in southwestern, southern, and southeastern Yunnan, Rongjiang and Xinhua in Guizhou, and Yaoshan in Guangxi.
The White-browed Woodpecker mainly inhabits broad-leaved forests, bamboo forests, sparse forests at forest edges, thickets, and reed beds on riverbanks in low mountains and plains below 2000 meters in altitude.
Appearance
The male has a golden-yellow forehead, chestnut-brown forehead, and olive-green crown and nape tinged with brown. The supercilium is white, broad, and short, extending from above the eye to the ear coverts. The lores are dark grey, and the facial bristles are black. The sides of the head, nape, and upper back are chestnut-brown, while the back, shoulders, and upper wing surfaces are olive-green. The back and shoulders are slightly tinged with brown, and the rump is pure brown. The uppertail coverts and tail are black, while the wing coverts are olive-green with brownish-white wing edges. The primary flight feathers are brown with white edges, and the secondary flight feathers are also brown with olive-yellow edges; the inner secondary flight feathers are brownish-olive. The underparts, from the chin to the undertail coverts, are entirely dark brown, sometimes paler on the chin.
The female is similar to the male, but her forehead and front are brown instead of golden.
The iris is red, with dark red exposed areas around the eyes. The mouth is pale black, lighter at the tip. The tarsus and toes are red, and the claws are flesh-colored.
Size measurements: Weight ♂ 11 g, ♀ 12 g; Body length ♂ 80.5 mm, ♀ 90 mm; Bill ♂ 13 mm, ♀ 12 mm; Wing ♂ 52 mm, ♀ 54 mm; Tail 21 mm; Tarsus 11-13 mm.
Detailed introduction
The White-browed Piculet, scientifically known as Sasia ochracea, has three subspecies.
The White-browed Brown Woodpecker is usually solitary. It mostly perches on small trees and shrubs, but can also climb tree trunks to forage, and sometimes forages on the ground. It is a resident bird. It feeds on ants and various insects, as well as worms and other small animals. Its single, high-pitched cry "tsit" is repeated several times; when alarmed, it emits a rapid, continuous "kih-kih-kih-kih-kih" call. When foraging on tree trunks and branches, it often makes a soft tapping sound.
The breeding season for the White-browed Brown Woodpecker is from April to June. They nest in tree cavities. Each clutch contains 3-4 white, oval eggs, measuring 14-17 mm × 12-13 mm. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs; the chicks are altricial.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2012 assessment.
Listed in the "List of Terrestrial Wild Animals of National Protection that are Beneficial or of Important Economic and Scientific Research Value" issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000. (Note: Item 289, White-browed Brown Woodpecker)
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