
Brown-fronted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes auriceps (Vigors, 1831)
≈20 cmLength40 gWeight
It has touches of yellow on the crown and a black moustachial stripe extending to the breast.
Busiest months: February–April and December · Most records: India, Pakistan, Nepal
How to identify
Field marks
- Yellow on the crown
- Black moustachial stripe extends to the breast
- White underparts with black streaks
- Deep pink feathers around the vent
Male, female and young
The male's crown is brown at the front, yellow in the middle and red at the rear.
Where and when it's recorded
Brown-fronted Woodpecker has been recorded at 48 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- SattalIndia1,059 records
- PangotIndia477 records
- Talhaar Ridge - Margalla HillsPakistan81 records
More places
- Munsyari – Bheema WodeyarIndia59 records
- Corbett NP – DhikalaIndia50 records
- Margalla Hills Trail 5Pakistan28 records
- Mt. PhulchowkiNepal23 records
- Wildlife Institute of IndiaIndia23 records
- Corbett NPIndia21 records
- Forest Research Institute (FRI), New Forest CampusIndia20 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
Questions
How big is the Brown-fronted Woodpecker?
The Brown-fronted Woodpecker is about ≈20 cm long and weighs around 40 g.
Where does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker live?
Its breeding range: Oriental: northeastern Afghanistan to central Nepal. It is most often recorded in India, Pakistan and Nepal.
When is the best time to see the Brown-fronted Woodpecker?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February, March, April and December (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Brown-fronted Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Brown-fronted Woodpecker as Least Concern.
What does the Brown-fronted Woodpecker eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Brown-fronted Woodpecker in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- ≈20 cm
- Weight
- 40 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 114 mm
- Tail
- 73 mm
- Bill
- 23 mm
- Tarsus
- 18 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental: northeastern Afghanistan to central Nepal
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Dendrocoptes
Other birds in the genus Dendrocoptes
Arabian WoodpeckerDendrocoptes dorae
Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
Eurasian WryneckJynx torquilla
Red-throated WryneckJynx ruficollis
Speckled PiculetPicumnus innominatus
Bar-breasted PiculetPicumnus aurifrons
Lafresnaye's PiculetPicumnus lafresnayi
Orinoco PiculetPicumnus pumilus
Golden-spangled PiculetPicumnus exilis
Ecuadorian PiculetPicumnus sclateri
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Dhruv Sah. ↗
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In other languages
- EnglishBrown-fronted Woodpecker
- 简体中文褐额啄木鸟
- 繁體中文褐額斑啄木
- 日本語キボウシアカゲラ
- DeutschBraunstirnspecht
- FrançaisPic à tête jaune
- EspañolPico frentipardo
- Portuguêspica-pau-de-testa-castanha
- ItalianoPicchio frontebruna
- NederlandsBruinvoorhoofdspecht
- РусскийКоронованный дятел
- Svenskabrunpannad hackspett
- DanskBrunpandet Flagspætte
- Polskidzięcioł nepalski