Breeding biology of Rufous-bellied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos hyperythrus) in Rudraprayag District (Western Himalayas), Uttarakhand, India

Cavity nesting species such as woodpeckers comprise a major component of many forest communities and play an important role in forest ecosystems. To conserve the population of these species, proper field observations on their breeding ecology are required. On the Indian subcontinent, there has been almost no scientific study about the breeding ecology of Rufous-bellied Woodpecker (RBW) (Dendrocopos hyperythrus). We studied the breeding ecology of RBW from February 2018 to July 2020 in Rudraprayag (Western Himalayas), Uttarakhand, India. Results indicated that the breeding season of RBW extends from March to July. RBW is a primary cavity excavator in which the pair excavates the nest cavity in various tree species, such as rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum), Nepalese alder (Alnus nepalensis), brown oak (Quercus semecarpifolia), walnut (Juglans regia), and moru oak (Quercus floribunda). The most often selected tree for nest cavities in the study species was rhododendron (n=8). The average depth of the nest chamber was 29.5±6.67 cm (22–45 cm) and the diameter of the cavity entrance was 7.09±0.067 cm (7.0–7.2 cm). Nests were located at heights between 2–14 m above ground level with an average of 6.7±4.7 m. All the nesting sites found were between range 1800–2589 m a.s.l. Nests were orientated in all directions except for the North and Northeast. Twelve active nests were located on tree trunks (n=7) and branches (n=5). One nest was found abandoned before completion by the pair due to conflict with Himalayan Woodpecker (Dendrocopos himalayensis) which excavated a nesting cavity on the same tree. Clutch size ranged from 2–3 with an average of 2.90±0.30 (n=32). The incubation period ranged between 16–18 days (16.72±0.78 days). A total of 28 eggs hatched successfully with a success rate of 87.5%. The average fledgling period was 25.81±1.40 days (range 24–28 days). Nesting success was estimated at 81.25%.