Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
Yungipicus moluccensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusYungipicus (Pygmy Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesYungipicus moluccensis (Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker)
About the Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
The Sunda pygmy woodpecker (Yungipicus moluccensis), also known as the Sunda woodpecker, is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Some taxonomic authorities continue to place this species in the genus Dendrocopos or Picoides.
The Sunda pygmy woodpecker was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other woodpeckers in the genus Picus and coined the binomial name Picus moluccensis. Gmelin based his description on "Le petit épeiche brun des Moluques" that had been described in 1780 by the French polymath Comte de Buffon in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The locality was originally specified as the Maluku Islands. This was an error and has been corrected to the state of Malacca in Malaysia. The Sunda pygmy woodpecker is now one of seven species placed in the genus Yungipicus that was introduced in 1854 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte.
Two subspecies are recognised: Y. m. moluccensis (Gmelin, JF, 1788) – Malay Peninsula to Borneo, Sumatra, Riau Islands (east of central Sumatra), Bangka... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park
Grey-capped Woodpecker
Yungipicus canicapillus
Crimson-winged Woodpecker
Picus puniceus
Banded Woodpecker
Chrysophlegma miniaceum
Rufous Piculet
Sasia abnormis
Gray-and-buff Woodpecker
Hemicircus concretus
White-rumped Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tristis
White-bellied Woodpecker
Dryocopus javensis
Rufous Woodpecker
Micropternus brachyurus
Buff-necked Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tukki
Maroon Woodpecker
Blythipicus rubiginosus
Orange-Backed Woodpecker
Reinwardtipicus validus
Lesser Yellownape
Picus chlorolophus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 6 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker in Gunung Leuser National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker in Gunung Leuser National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker in Gunung Leuser National Park in our monthly data.