WOODPECKERS 
of progression is that the woodpecker starts to climb from 
near the base *of a tree tmnk quietly working its way up to 
the top, going round and roinid tin* trunk in the proccKS and 
gaining- considerable support from the stiEf tail which is 
pressed fanwi^t' against the bark. In the course of the climb 
the bird occasionally stops to search in the bark for food and 
it is then that the tapping^ noise, such a well-known sound of 
the woodlands although easily confused with the creaking of 
a bamboo, is heard as the bird vigorously taps the tree with 
its bilL 
The voice of the woodpeckers is not musical. In most 
species it is a scream, in some others it is not unlike the distant 
neifi-h of a pony and in yet other species a shrill single note is 
repeated rapidly several times. 
The food is mostly composed of ants and other small 
insects, especiaHy of the wood-boring kinds. In the majority 
of species the white eggs arc laid in a hole in a tree. 
In addition to the typical woodpeckers this family includes 
th^ well-known wo'necks, none of which however occur in 
Jifskmysia; and some tiny little birds known as piculets occuring^ 
in the Malay Peninsula but not yet recorded from Singapore. 
Seventeen species of woodpeckers are recorded as havin^^ 
occurred on Singapore Island, A few of these we suspect are 
rarely, if ever, found with us now-a-days; but a number of 
species, all mentioned in greater detail below are fairly common 
and at least five kinds are frequently met with. To recognise 
all of the seventeen recorded sjjecies in the lield without pre- 
vious acquaintance with the birds in a museum would be an 
almost impossible task, but we have optomistically made the 
following field key", choosing wdiere possible those charac- 
ters which are most easily to he noticed in the field r — 
f "Crow" size Cwing more than 8 inches) ... 2 
1. Smaller ... ... ■■■3 
I Mostly dark sUte in colour — Mulleripicus pulveru- 
2. J lentus 
\ Conspicuous white underparts — Thripomx ja'i'e lists 
i A very conspicuous white or pale rump ... 4 
3. I No conspicuous "rear" patch to be noticed in 
1 flight ... ... ... 6 
