Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pale-headed Woodpecker
Gecinulus grantia
Pale-headed Woodpecker (Gecinulus grantia) — 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 Pale-headed Woodpecker (Gecinulus grantia) is a member of the Picidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 76 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 Gecinulus
- Species grantia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 76 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 Pale-headed 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 Pale-headed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pale-headed Woodpecker (Gecinulus grantia) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR se Asia and e China.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 76 g, with a wing length of about 12.6 cm and a tail of around 8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 750,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pale-headed Woodpecker?
The Pale-headed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 76 g.
Where does the Pale-headed Woodpecker live?
The Pale-headed Woodpecker is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR se Asia and e China, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pale-headed Woodpecker belong to?
The Pale-headed Woodpecker (Gecinulus grantia) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Pale-headed Woodpecker eat?
The Pale-headed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pale-headed Woodpecker migrate?
The Pale-headed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pale-headed 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 Pale-headed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Pale-headed Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pale-headed Woodpecker's range?
The Pale-headed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 750,000 km².
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.