Yungipicus nanus
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-capped Woodpecker sighting in Mudumalai National Park on a given day, based on 249 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 53rd most-seen of the 233 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, July–August and December–February
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-capped Woodpecker in Mudumalai National Park on a given day, against about 20% in March, May–June and September–November, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 18 parks where we can rate Brown-capped Woodpecker sightings, Mudumalai National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal, about 20%) and Bandhavgarh National Park (India, about 20%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the Brown-capped Woodpecker that you can see in Mudumalai National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Black-rumped Flameback (about 50%), Yellow-crowned Woodpecker (about 20%) and Streak-throated Woodpecker (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown-capped Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Mudumalai National Park (249 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.
