All you need to know about one of the smallest woodpeckers in India
What is the brown-capped pygmy woodpecker also known as?
The brown-capped pygmy woodpecker is also known as the Indian pygmy woodpecker (Yungipicus nanus).
Where can you find the brown-capped pygmy woodpecker?
The brown-capped pygmy woodpecker occurs all across India, excluding the northeastern states, Trans-Himalayas and the Thar desert. The habitats they prefer are deciduous forests, open forests and forest edges.
What do brown-capped pygmy woodpeckers eat?
Their diet consists mainly of small-sized invertebrates including ants, termites, beetles. They also feed on nectar, fruits and berries. Brown-capped pygmy woodpeckers are usually spotted foraging in the canopy.
About the contributors
Nisarg Prakash
is a wildlife biologist working with RoundGlass Sustain. A large part of my work before Sustain has been along streams and rivers, in the process trying to understand otters better.
View Profile
Diviya Mehra
is a graphic designer. She was the former art director of National Geographic Traveller. Her love for animals, travel and design has shaped her career through the years.
View Profile
Related Content
Pygmy hog: Back from the Brink
Conservation efforts have elevated numbers of the elusive and rare pygmy hog, a tiny, shy wild pig from Northeast India
Knock on Wood: The Pygmy Woodpecker Makes an Appearance
Dead and rotting wood are buffet zones for birds like the grey-capped pygmy woodpecker
Wildlife Puzzle: Woodpecker
Put together this jigsaw to see a beautiful brown fronted woodpecker chasing a rufous sibia in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary