Bay Woodpecker

Bay Woodpecker

Blythipicus pyrrhotis

Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Namdapha National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

587 Verified sightings at Namdapha National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,441 In all 7 parks
January Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Bay Woodpecker

The bay woodpecker (Blythipicus pyrrhotis) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

The bay woodpecker's diet consists of various insects such as ants, termites and wood-boring beetles, and they will also consume berries occasionally. They do most of their foraging 3–4 m below the surface level, on trunks, rotting snags, logs, and on saplings, vines and bamboo. They do not forage near other bay woodpeckers, but they maintain loose contact with their partners.

The bay woodpecker is a mid-size bird with a body length of 26.5–30 cm (10.4–11.8 in). The average adult bay woodpecker has a weight of 126–170 g (4.4–6.0 oz). Male bay woodpeckers can be distinguished by a brown crown on their heads, a short crest and nape with streaking, and a pale brown forehead. Female bay woodpeckers have a shorter bill than the males, as well as a pale head without any red on the neck. Bay woodpeckers are members of the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:08

China · 2026

© Dave Guo · XC1148751 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:27

China · 2025

© JJSUN · XC1082779 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:12

Malaysia · 2023

© Wai Loon Wong · XC805702 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
2 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
3 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~20%
4 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
5 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
6 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
7 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bay Woodpecker in Namdapha National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Bay Woodpecker sighting in Namdapha National Park on a given day, based on 587 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 298 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Bay Woodpecker in Namdapha National Park?

January

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Bay Woodpecker in Namdapha National Park on a given day, against about 20% in October, the lowest month. That is one of Namdapha National Park's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 660 mm in July. June to September have too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Bay Woodpecker?

Between 2 and 5 am

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

Is Namdapha National Park the best place to see a Bay Woodpecker?

Yes

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Bay Woodpecker sightings, Namdapha National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Cuc Phuong National Park (Vietnam, about 20%) and Royal Manas National Park (Bhutan, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Bay Woodpecker live in Namdapha National Park?

Same family: Picidae

The closest relatives of the Bay Woodpecker that you can see in Namdapha National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Lesser Yellownape (about 20%), Greater Yellownape (about 20%) and Greater Flameback (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Bay Woodpecker sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bay Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Namdapha National Park (587 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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