Wildlifeof Nepal
Great Slaty Woodpecker
Barbets & Woodpeckers
Photo: jujuwild (iNaturalist) · CC0
Mulleripicus pulverulentus
Basic stats
Diet
Insects; occasionally small fruit
Habitat
Forest, usually below 600m and locally up to 1,100m; nests in very large trees 9–45m up
Weight
One study gave an average of about 430g
The great slaty woodpecker is the largest confirmed living woodpecker, behind only the likely extinct imperial and ivory-billed woodpeckers. It is unmistakable, with a very long, strong chisel-tipped bill, an elongated neck and a long tail. In one study the average weight was about 430 g (Wikipedia, general species account).
It usually occurs below 600 m but also locally in montane areas up to 1,100 m, occasionally to 2,000 m. Known nests are in very large trees, 9–45 m up. The call is a whinnying cackle of two to five, usually four, notes, the first higher and the middle one distinctly lower, and pairs have been heard mewing softly to each other. Small fruit occasionally supplements the diet (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Great Slaty Woodpecker eat?
- Insects; occasionally small fruit
- What habitat does the Great Slaty Woodpecker live in?
- Forest, usually below 600m and locally up to 1,100m; nests in very large trees 9–45m up
- How much does the Great Slaty Woodpecker weigh?
- One study gave an average of about 430g