Dryocopus javensis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 12 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Woodpecker sighting in Periyar National Park on a given day, based on 285 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 108th most-seen of the 227 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Woodpecker in Periyar National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–July and October, the lowest months.
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.
4th of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate White-bellied Woodpecker sightings, Periyar National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Sepilok (Malaysia, about 30%), Nagarhole National Park (India, about 20%) and Way Kambas National Park (Indonesia, about 10%).
Same family: Picidae
The closest relatives of the White-bellied Woodpecker that you can see in Periyar National Park (family Picidae, Woodpeckers) are Black-rumped Flameback (about 40%), Malabar Flameback (about 40%) and Heart-spotted Woodpecker (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-bellied Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Periyar National Park (285 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.
