Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Scaly-bellied Green Woodpecker
- Scientific name: Picus squamatus, Scaly-bellied woodpecker
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Classification: Order Versiformes, Family Woodpeckers, Genus *Leptochloa*
Vital signs data
- Body length: 30-36 cm
- Weight: 159-165g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
The Scaled Green Woodpecker is found in southern Tibet within China. Outside of China, it is distributed in the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Balochistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan.
The scaly-bellied green woodpecker mainly inhabits broad-leaved forests and mixed forests in mountainous areas below 2,500 meters above sea level, and also appears in sparse forests and shrublands at forest edges.
Appearance
The male Scaled Green Woodpecker has a bright red forehead, crown, nape, and crest. The lores and supercilium are white, with a black stripe above the supercilium between the white supercilium and the red crown. A black stripe runs from the base of the bill to the eye, disappearing behind the eye. The jaw stripe is broad and black. The cheeks are white, gradually turning pale green towards the ear coverts and sides of the neck. The back, shoulders, and wing coverts are grass-green, sometimes tinged with grey. The rump and uppertail coverts are green with bright yellow edges, sometimes entirely an indistinct green. The tail is dark brown with several broad white, yellowish-white, and brownish-white bars. The primary flight feathers are dark brown with white bars at the base of the outer and inner webs; the inner secondary flight feathers are tinged with green and have fine yellowish-green bars; the outer secondary flight feathers gradually become the same as the primary flight feathers. The chin and throat are pale greyish-green, while the foreneck and breast are darker. The belly, flanks, underwing coverts, and undertail coverts are pale yellowish-green or grayish-white, with prominent black scaly spots.
The female and male Scaled Green Woodpecker are similar, but the female's head and crest feathers are black instead of red, and her body plumage is darker and has less green.
Juvenile scaly green woodpeckers resemble females, and also have scaly spots on their breasts, though these are not very prominent.
The scaly-bellied green woodpecker has a red iris, a yellow beak, and dark yellowish-green or slate-green feet and toes.
Size measurements: Weight ♂ 165 g, ♀ 159 g; Body length 300-360 mm; Bill 27-33 mm; Wing 155-172 mm; Tail 127-136 mm; Tarsus 27 mm.
Detailed introduction
The Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, scientifically known as *Picus squamatus*, has two subspecies.
The Scaly-bellied Woodpecker is a resident bird, usually solitary, foraging mostly on dead branches or in decaying trees, but also on the ground. Its call is a melodious, bell-like "klee-gu"; occasionally, it makes a drawn-out nasal "cheenk" sound, repeated every 10-15 seconds. Its chiseling sound is loud and trembling. It primarily feeds on ants and other ants, but also eats ant eggs and other insects.
The breeding season for the Scaled Green Woodpecker is from March to May. They nest in tree cavities, 0.3-5 meters above the ground, with an entrance diameter of 5-6 centimeters and a depth of 50-60 centimeters. The cavities are unlined. Each clutch contains 3-6 eggs. The eggs are white, oval, and measure 28-33 mm × 21-24 mm.
The scaly-bellied green woodpecker is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver 3.1.
Protect wild animals and ban the consumption of wild game.
Maintaining ecological balance is everyone's responsibility!
