White-rumped Woodpecker

White-rumped Woodpecker

Meiglyptes tristis

Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic

LCNTVUENEndangeredCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Way Kambas National Park

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

53 Verified sightings at Way Kambas National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,455 In all 11 parks
June Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the White-rumped Woodpecker

The zebra woodpecker (Meiglyptes tristis) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Java. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is considered endangered.

The zebra woodpecker was described by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821 under the binomial name Picus tristis from a specimen collected in Java. The specific epithet tristis is Latin for "sad" or "gloomy". The species is now placed in the genus Meiglyptes that was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1837.

The zebra woodpecker is a monotypic species, but it was previously considered conspecific with the buff-rumped woodpecker as two subspecies. It is found in plantations of coconuts, rubber, and silk plants; villages that border secondary forest; mangroves; and polyculture areas. It is known to access disturbed habitats. It is disputed whether zebra woodpeckers are found within primary and secondary forests.

Image at ADW Archived 2008-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:36

Malaysia · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1153553 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:40

Malaysia · 2016

© Frank Lambert · XC523387 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Drumming0:50

Malaysia · 2010

© Rolf A. de By · XC65341 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
2 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
3 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
4 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
5 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
6 Tanjung Puting National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
7 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
8 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
9 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
10 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
11 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-rumped Woodpecker in Way Kambas National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-rumped Woodpecker sighting in Way Kambas National Park on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 102nd most-seen of the 205 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-rumped Woodpecker in Way Kambas National Park?

March, June–July and September–October

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-rumped Woodpecker in Way Kambas National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April–May and August, the lowest months. November to February have too few records to rate.

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

Between 1 and 4 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-rumped Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Way Kambas National Park the best place to see a White-rumped Woodpecker?

2nd of 11

Of the 11 parks where we can rate White-rumped Woodpecker sightings, Way Kambas National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 30%).

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

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-rumped Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Way Kambas National Park (53 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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