White-bellied Woodpecker

White-bellied Woodpecker

Dryocopus javensis

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Nagarhole National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

381 Verified sightings at Nagarhole National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,067 In all 12 parks
June Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the White-bellied Woodpecker

The white-bellied woodpecker or great black woodpecker (Dryocopus javensis) is a woodpecker species inhabiting evergreen forests in tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is among the largest of the Asiatic woodpeckers and nests in large dead trees, often beside rivers. It has 14 subspecies, and many of its island forms are endangered, some are extinct. Populations differ in the distribution and extent of white. Its drums and calls are louder than those of the smaller woodpeckers.

This species is one of the largest living species of woodpecker. Adults range in size from 40 to 48 cm (16 to 19 in) and are behind only to the great slaty woodpecker and black woodpecker in size among Asian woodpecker species. The species is considered closely related to the more northern black woodpecker and the North American pileated woodpecker and is similar in size to these species. Body mass can vary from 197 to 350 g (6.9 to 12.3 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 20.5 to 25.2 cm (8.1 to 9.9 in), the tail is 14.3 to 18.9 cm (5.6 to 7.4 in), the bill is 4.6 to 6 cm (1.8 to 2.4 in) and the tarsus is 3.2 to 4.3 cm (1.3 to 1.7 in).

The subspecies hodgsonii... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Alarm call0:13

Thailand · 2025

© Jirawut · XC1184814 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:33

Malaysia · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1169213 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Drumming1:15

India · 2019

© Mandar Bhagat · XC548110 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
2 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
3 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
4 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
5 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
6 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
7 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
8 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
9 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
10 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
11 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
12 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-bellied Woodpecker in Nagarhole National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Woodpecker sighting in Nagarhole National Park on a given day, based on 381 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 61st most-seen of the 272 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-bellied Woodpecker in Nagarhole National Park?

March, June, August and October

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Woodpecker in Nagarhole National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April–May, July and September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a White-bellied Woodpecker?

Between 1 and 4 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-bellied Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Nagarhole National Park the best place to see a White-bellied Woodpecker?

2nd of 12

Of the 12 parks where we can rate White-bellied Woodpecker sightings, Nagarhole National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Sepilok (Malaysia, about 30%).

Which relatives of the White-bellied Woodpecker live in Nagarhole National Park?

Same family: Picidae

The closest relatives of the White-bellied Woodpecker that you can see in Nagarhole National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Black-rumped Flameback (about 40%), Streak-throated Woodpecker (about 20%) and Malabar Flameback (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-bellied Woodpecker sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-bellied Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Nagarhole National Park (381 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.

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