Photo: Lip Kee Yap / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Sooty Woodpecker
Mulleripicus funebris
Northern Sooty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus funebris) — 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 Northern Sooty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus funebris) is a member of the Picidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 164 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Mulleripicus
- Species funebris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 164 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Sooty 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 Northern Sooty Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus funebris) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Luzon group (n Philippines).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 164 g, with a wing length of about 16.1 cm and a tail of around 13.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 102,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Sooty Woodpecker?
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 164 g.
Where does the Northern Sooty Woodpecker live?
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Luzon group (n Philippines), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Northern Sooty Woodpecker belong to?
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus funebris) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Northern Sooty Woodpecker eat?
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern Sooty Woodpecker migrate?
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern Sooty Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Northern Sooty Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Sooty 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 Northern Sooty Woodpecker's range?
The Northern Sooty Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 102,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.