Mulleripicus pulverulentus
The Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus) is the largest woodpecker in Southeast Asia, a truly imposing avian presence. Measuring 48-58 cm (19-23 inches) in length and weighing 360-563 g (12.7-19.9 oz), its plumage is predominantly a uniform dark, smoky slate-grey, often appearing 'powdered,' with a paler throat and a stout, pale, horn-colored bill. A key field mark for males is a distinct bright red malar stripe, which females conspicuously lack, making sexual dimorphism easily...
Found primarily in humid tropical and subtropical broadleaf evergreen and deciduous forests, preferring areas with large, mature trees. It occurs from lowlands up to elevations of approximately 1,100 meters (3,600 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, feeding heavily on large ants, termites, and wood-boring beetle larvae. They obtain food by powerful excavation into wood and bark.
This diurnal woodpecker is highly social, often observed in pairs or small family groups, and sometimes joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They are renowned for their powerful, far-carrying calls and distinct social drumming, which often involves synchronized rhythmic tapping by pairs or grou...
The Great Slaty Woodpecker is a resident species distributed across a vast area of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its range extends from parts of India (primarily the Northeast, Western Ghats, and Eastern Ghats) and Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Camb...
Least Concern
- The Great Slaty Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker species found in its extensive Southeast Asian range. - Its scientific name, *pulverulentus*, means 'powdery,' referring to the distinctive grey, almost 'dusted' appearance of its plumage. - Unlike many woodpeckers that drum for territory or ...