White Bellied Woodpecker-Female

[Roopak Gangadharan]

The second largest wood pecker in Asia (after the Great slaty) the biggest threat to the future of this beauty is cutting down of old and Dead trees by the FD is some places (this has stopped in kerala dont know about other states).The bird primarily nests in tree trunks of old and dead trees. Another species facing the same threat is the Travancore flying squrriel.

Shot at Mudumalai
500D, 55-250, 250mm, AE, F5.6, SS1/125, ISO800 +1 EC Cropped image

Regards
Roopak

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Tough lighting conditions. You got the eye right. I agree that cutting down the old and dead trees is a big problem for owls as well. Not only birds, reptiles, small mammals, rodents, termites, algae the list of dependents on a dead tree is long. It is a mini ecosystem.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Tushar Dixit]

Nice capture in difficult lighting conditions! This seems to be a favorite tree of this woodie. Wish you were more towards the left in parallel to the bird.

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Lovely image, the eye contact is nice. Agree with comments made
tfs