Voice
A rapid 'ptikititititit' and 'tik-tik-tik-tik'. Territorial males give a rapid, sputtering rattle 'ki-i-i-i-i-i-i-i', 'chit-chit-chit-r-r-r-r-h' or 'kirritrick'. A nasal 'twicca-twicca-wicca-wicc-wicca'. Short and accelerating drumming.
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos hyperythrus) [XC70891]
by Gerard Gorman from Near Pangot, Uttarakhand, India (alarm call)
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos hyperythrus) [XC620470]
by Thet Zaw Naing from Bompu Camp, Eaglenest, Arunachal Pradesh, India (?)
Subspecies
Genus sometimes merged into Picoides. Relationships within genus somewhat obscure and most likely related to southern Asian Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos macei) superspecies and Crimson-breasted Woodpecker (Dryobates cathpharius). Variation, particularly in tone of underparts, is considerable, but largely individual.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
marshalli (Hartert, 1912) - North-eastern Pakistan, Kashmir and northern India.
hyperythrus (Vigors, 1831) - Nepal east to south-eastern Tibet and western and south-western China (Sichuan, Yunnan), south to Bangladesh, central Myanmar and north-western Thailand.
annamensis (Kloss, 1925) - Eastern Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam.