Photo: Imran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-fronted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes auriceps
Brown-fronted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes auriceps) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes auriceps) is a member of the Picidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 39.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Dendrocoptes
- Species auriceps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes auriceps) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR ne Afghanistan to c Nepal.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.4 cm and a tail of around 7.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-fronted Woodpecker?
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 39.9 g.
Where does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker live?
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR ne Afghanistan to c Nepal, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker belong to?
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes auriceps) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker eat?
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker migrate?
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-fronted Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-fronted Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.