Yungipicus nanus
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The brown-capped pygmy woodpecker or Indian pygmy woodpecker (Yungipicus nanus) is a species of very small woodpecker found in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. Some taxonomic authorities continue to place this species in the genus Dendrocopos or Picoides. This species is non-migratory and often spotted in pairs or small family groups. They are known for being very active and are not often spotted, despite their constant foraging in the tree canopy.
The brown-capped pygmy woodpecker has brownish cap from the forehead to hindneck. A small brown and white woodpecker with distinctive pink-rimmed white irises. Barred brown and white above, lightly streaked dirty white below. Tail spotted white. Paler brown crown (edged red in male) and eyestripes contrasting with white supercilia and cheeks.
This is a non-migratory bird found across most of India (except the northeast/Thar desert), Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It inhabits diverse, habitats up to 2300m, including deciduous/secondary forests, orchards, and also urban gardens. They are resident, though birds at higher altitudes may move to lower elevations during the winter months. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 8 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 11 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 14 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 15 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 16 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 17 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 18 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-capped Woodpecker sighting in Chitwan National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 241st most-seen of the 367 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-capped Woodpecker in Chitwan National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to February, the lowest months. That is one of Chitwan National Park's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 660 mm in July.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown-capped Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
16th of 18
Of the 18 parks where we can rate Brown-capped Woodpecker sightings, Chitwan National Park ranks 16th at under 5%. The best odds are in Mudumalai National Park (India, about 30%), Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal, about 20%) and Bandhavgarh National Park (India, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown-capped Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Chitwan National Park (28 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
