Birds of the Indian Hills 



common to all species of pied woodpecker. 

 Dendrocopus auriceps nests earlier in the year 

 than do most hill-birds, so that by the time 

 the majority of the European visitors arrive in 

 the hills, the young woodpeckers have left their 

 nest, which is a hole excavated by the parents 

 in a tree, a rhododendron by preference. 



Two other species of pied woodpecker are 

 common in the hills — the rufous-bellied (Hypo- 

 picus hypererythrus) and the Western Hima- 

 layan species {Dendrocopus himalayensis). The 

 former is particularly abundant at Murree. 

 These two species are distinguished from the 

 brown-fronted pied woodpecker by having no 

 brown on the forehead. The rufous abdomen 

 serves to differentiate the rufous-bellied from 

 the Western Himalayan species. The above 

 woodpeckers are not much larger than mynas. 



There remains yet another common species 

 — the West Himalayan scaly - bellied green 

 woodpecker {Gecinus squamatus). The English 

 name of this bird is very cumbrous. There is 

 no help for this. Numerous adjectives and 

 adjectival adjuncts are necessary to each species 

 to distinguish it from each of the host of other 

 woodpeckers. This particular species is larger 

 than a crow and is recognisable by its green 



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