Goa Woodpecker Result

So, the birds in India recently, or to be exact, the woodpeckers. We were based in the foothills of the Western Ghats hills in Goa State. Of the 10 woodpecker species of woodpecker that are regular there we saw 8. Some (eg.

Black-rumped Flameback)

were common and easy to find others rare and hard work (eg.

Lesser Yellownape). Here is the list of those seen: Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus malayorum,

Heart-spotted Woodpecker Hemicircus canente,

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus cinereigula,

Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus chlorigaster,

Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense puncticolle,

White-naped Woodpecker (Flameback) Chrysocolaptes festivus,

Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus socialis (a male in the photo here) and White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis hodgsonii.

White-bellied Woodpecker was the number one target of my fellow woodpecker-searching companion Simon, and I really wanted to see that species, too, due to it being a close relative of Black Woodpecker. We spent many hours trying to track it down, heard it drumming, saw the signs, and wondered where they where. Then we finally found 2 males, on the final two days. It was well worth the hard work we put in.