Assessing the Status and Distribution of The Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus (Temminck 1826) in Sub-Himalayan Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Owing to its global decline, the Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus has been categorised as Vulnerable by IUCN. In India, the species is rare and occurs in the sub-Himalayan moist tropical forests from Uttarakhand in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Available records indicate that the Great Slaty Woodpecker (GSW) is dependent upon mature dipterocarp forests. However, there is very little scientific information on its distribution or habitat preferences in India. We surveyed the distribution of GSW and searched for its breeding sites in the Sal forests of western Uttarakhand. Using forest department records, we identified 50 sites having relatively mature Sal forests, which were likely to harbour GSW. At each site we carried out call playback surveys to detect the presence of GSW and qualitatively evaluated forest habitat structure. We detected GSW presence at seven sites, observed breeding at three, and found nesting trees at six sites. GSW was observed mainly in mature Sal-dominated forests in sloping terrain. Most trees in which cavities were found were deformed or diseased and had a median diameter at breast height (DBH) of 53.5 cm. For conserving GSW, it is important that mature Sal stands be retained, and silvicultural removal of deformed trees be discontinued.