AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

1358. Hypopicus hyperythrus hyperythrus

(1358) Hypopicus hyperythrus hyperythrus* (Vigors).
THE Eastern RUFOUS-BELLIED Woodpecker.
Hypopicus hyperythrus hyperythrus, Fauna 33. I., Birds, 2nd ed. vol. iv. p. 30.
We found this to be a common Woodpecker in Assam, and it extends from there West to Sikkim and Nepal and East to the Shan States, where Hopwood says “this was one of the com¬monest Woodpeckers at Kalaw." It is a. forest Woodpecker and keeps much to evergreen-forest often at great heights. In Assam it was common from about 2,500 feet up to the highest peaks, but in the Himalayas it is found up to 12,000 feet in Sikkim, and Macdonald came across it in stunted birch-forest, though not breeding, at 14,000 feet. On the other hand, he found it below Darjiling in May and June at about 7,000 feet.
Hopwood found a number of nesting-holes in Kalaw, though he was unfortunate in not being able to take many full clutches of eggs. All the nests he found were between 2 and 15 feet from the ground and were all built in rotten stumps of trees, an opening being cut into the hollow centre. Small trees were selected, in one instance a Pine not more than 3 inches in diameter. At Maymyo Cook took other nests in quite similar places.
* Kloss separated the Annam birds under the name of Dryobates hyperythrus annamensis (Bull. B. O. C. vol. xlvi, p. 7,1925), and says the birds from the Southern Shan States "begin to approximate, and one specimen of several from. Manipur examined is very similar,” Hopwood’s birds from Kalaw seem to me however, to be quite typical hyperythrus, and I retain them under this name.
A nest taken by myself in North Cachar was made in a hollow tree but with hard, sound sides. The bird had selected a spot about 15 feet from the ground, and here he had made a hole about 2 inches wide and 4 inches deep, leading into the hollow in which the eggs were deposited.
April and May seem to be the two months in which eggs are laid, but doubtless they sometimes breed in the end of March.
Fifteen eggs average 22.2 x 16.5 mm. : maxima 25 x 16.0 and 24.5 x 17.2 mm, ; minima 20.0 x 16.9 and 21.5 x 16.0.
Both birds incubate, the male more than the female, and Hop¬wood and I have both caught males on the nest.

BookTitle: 
The Nidification Of Birds Of The Indian Empire
Reference: 
Baker, Edward Charles Stuart. The nidification of birds of the Indian Empire. Vol. 3. 1934.
Title in Book: 
1358. Hypopicus hyperythrus hyperythrus
Spp Author: 
Vigors.
Book Author: 
Edward Charles Stuart Baker
CatNo: 
1358
Year: 
1934
Page No: 
283
Common name: 
Eastern Rufous-bellied Woodpeoker
M_ID: 
10580
M_SN: 
Dendrocopos hyperythrus hyperythrus
Volume: 
Vol. 3
id: 
14465

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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith