Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Yellow-necked Woodpecker
- Scientific name: Dendrocopos darjellensis, Darjeeling Woodpecker
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Family and genus: Order Vulpetiformes, Family Woodpeckers, Genus *Woodpecker*
Vital signs data
- Body length: 21-24 cm
- Weight: 60-80g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
The Yellow-necked Woodpecker is distributed within China in Gongshan, Bapo, Lushui, Pianma, Yaojiaping, Tengchong, Yingjiang, Lijiang, Longchuanjiang, Nujiang, Lancangjiang and Xinping in Yunnan Province, Changdu in Tibet, and western and southwestern Sichuan Province. Outside of China, it is distributed in Nepal, Sikkim, Assam in India, northern Myanmar and northern Vietnam.
Yellow-necked woodpeckers mainly inhabit mountain coniferous forests and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, at altitudes mostly between 1,500 and 3,000 meters.
Appearance
The male Yellow-necked Woodpecker has a narrow white band on its forehead, a red band on its nape, and the rest of its crown and upper body are black. Its shoulders and wing patches are white, its cheeks are off-white, and the back of its ear coverts and sides of its neck are orange-yellow, forming a distinct yellow patch on its neck. Its jaw stripes are broad and coarse, and black. Its chin, throat, and foreneck are yellowish-brown or off-brown, without markings. Its breast, flanks, and belly are pale yellowish-brown with prominent black longitudinal stripes; its undertail coverts are orange-red.
The female and male Yellow-necked Woodpecker are similar, but the female lacks the red nape. Juveniles have a completely red head and nape. Otherwise, they resemble adults.
The male Yellow-necked Woodpecker has a deep red iris, while the female has a reddish-brown iris. The bare skin around the eyes is slate gray or leaden. The upper mandible is dark slate brown, almost black at the tip, and lighter at the base, which is slate blue. The lower mandible is dark leaden at the corners, turning pale gray at the base. The feet and toes are dark green or slate green. The claws are brown.
Size measurements: Weight: Male 61-70 g, Female 60-80 g; Body length: Male 215-244 mm, Female 244-236 mm; Bill length: Male 32-35 mm, Female 30-33 mm; Wing length: Male 123-135 mm, Female 117-125 mm; Tail length: Male 88-96 mm, Female 85-95 mm; Tarsus length: Male 21-22.5 mm, Female 21-23 mm.
Detailed introduction
The yellow-necked woodpecker, scientifically known as Dendrocopos darjellensis, has two subspecies.
The Yellow-necked Woodpecker is a resident bird, found alone or in pairs, mostly in the lower and middle layers of trees, rarely venturing to the upper or higher levels to forage. It primarily feeds on insects and worms, but also consumes other small animals.
Yellow-necked woodpeckers nest in tree cavities, which are dug by the parents themselves. Each nest contains 2-4 eggs, which measure 26.5-29 × 19-20 mm, with an average size of 27.8 × 19.6 mm.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver 3.1.
It is listed in the "List of Terrestrial Wild Animals of Beneficial or Important Economic and Scientific Research Value under State Protection" issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000.
Protect wild animals and ban the consumption of wild game.
Maintaining ecological balance is everyone's responsibility!
