Birds
Great Slaty Woodpecker
Mulleripicus pulverulentus · also called great slaty woodpeckers
Moving through the forest canopy in a small, noisy family group rather than alone, a great slaty woodpecker breaks from the solitary norm shared by most of its relatives, one of the largest living woodpeckers anywhere and unusually social with it.
Overview
The great slaty woodpecker, Mulleripicus pulverulentus, is one of the largest living woodpecker species, native to forest habitat across South and Southeast Asia. Its record-setting size, unusually social family-group lifestyle, and dependence on large, mature trees within intact forest make it one of the most behaviourally distinctive and conservation-significant giant woodpeckers found anywhere in the world today.
A giant that prefers company
While most woodpeckers live and forage alone, the great slaty woodpecker moves through its forest habitat in small family groups, a genuinely social lifestyle that sets it apart from nearly every other member of the woodpecker family.
Status
Vulnerable, having declined due to ongoing deforestation across parts of South and Southeast Asia.
Great Slaty Woodpecker: common questions
How big is the great slaty woodpecker?
This species is one of the largest living woodpecker species in the world, rivaling other giant woodpeckers such as the Magellanic woodpecker in overall size.
Is the great slaty woodpecker social, unlike most other woodpeckers?
Yes, this species is unusually social for a woodpecker, typically moving through the forest in small, noisy family groups rather than living the solitary life typical of most other woodpecker species.
Why is the great slaty woodpecker considered Vulnerable?
This species depends on large, mature trees found mainly within intact forest, and ongoing deforestation across parts of South and Southeast Asia has reduced the resources it needs for both feeding and nesting.
What does the great slaty woodpecker eat?
This species feeds mainly on ants and termites, extracted from large trees within mature forest, a diet that ties it closely to the health of intact, undisturbed woodland.