The Indian wilderness is home to many a Woodpecker species. And since the time I have been doing photography, these shy winged beauties have captivated me. Here are a few of the Woodpeckers that we have managed to photograph till date during our various trips into the forest. All these Woodpeckers are only found in South Asia and some only in India and Sri Lanka.
This record shot image of the Yellow-crowned Woodpecker was taken at the BR Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in 2007 using a D80 mounted with a Sigma 100-300mm f4 lens (with 1.4x TC). As we were composing these images, we realised that it was over a year since we last sighted this species in the South Indian forests!
This Rufous Woodpecker was photographed at the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in 2007. In my opinion the Rufous Woodpecker is one of the most shy sub-species amongst Woodpeckers. The equipment here was the D80 with the Nikon 300mm f2.8 (with 2x TC)
The Black-rumped Flameback Woodpecker also known as the Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker is the only Golden-backed species with a black throat and is a widespread resident in India. This image of the Black-rumped Flameback Woodpecker was taken at the Bandipur National Park during the monsoons in 2008.
This image of the Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker was taken at the Bandipur National Park. This species of the Woodpecker is primarily found only in India and Sri Lanka. This image and all subsequent images have been taken using the D300, 300mm f2.8 (with 2x TC)
The White-bellied Woodpecker is the largest among the Woodpecker family found in India. This image of the White-bellied Woodpecker was taken during our last visit to Nagarhole National Park.
This image of the Streak-throated Woodpecker (Male) was taken during our last visit to Nagarhole National Park in 2009.
