Lesser Yellownape

Medium-sized woodpecker with a colorful crest. Coloration varies considerably based on range, but always look for a bright yellow hindcrest, overall greenish coloration, and white-barred chest. Greater Yellownape is significantly larger with an all-gray belly. Forages along trunks, branches, and on the ground in forested lowlands and foothills; sometimes accompanies mixed-species foraging flocks. Listen for its oddly raptor-like “pyeeeah.”

In Sri Lanka, the Lesser Yellownape is typically found in the dense, humid forests, particularly in areas like Sinharaja Forest Reserve, where they are often seen foraging in mixed-species flocks within the undergrowth and tree canopy, primarily in search of insects within tree holes; essentially, any lowland and mid-altitude rainforest habitat throughout the country.

In Sri Lanka, the Lesser Yellownape primarily eats ants, beetles, and their larvae, often foraging on tree trunks and branches, as well as on the ground to access insects in dung pats; they may also consume berries and nectar occasionally.