Habitat
Primary semi-open moist deciduous and tropical evergreen forests, adjacent secondary forest and clearings with scattered tall trees. Prefers dipterocarp and teak forests in certain areas, as well as swamp-forest and tall mangroves. From sea-level - 600 m, but does occur up to 1,100 m in the Himalayas and occasionally up to 2,000 m.
Bangladesh (B), Bhutan (B), Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia (B), China (mainland) (B), India (B), Indonesia (B), Laos (B), Malaysia (B), Myanmar (B), Nepal (B), Philippines (B), Singapore (E), Thailand (B), Vietnam (B).
Population
Estimated population is 26,000 - 550,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Status VU
Habitat destruction, particularly the felling of old-growth forest, is the main threat.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Ants, termites, stingless bees. Also small fruit.
Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus) [XC740719]
by Joshua Chong from Mersing (near Kahang), Johor, Malaysia (call, flight call, subsong)
Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus) [XC327662]
by Antero Lindholm from Johor, Panti Forest Reserve, Bunker Trail, Malaysia (flight call)
Subspecies
Geographical variation not well marked, and individual variation makes racial delimitation difficult; size varies only slightly and inconstantly throughout range. Populations from north-western (Nepal to northern Assam) described as subspecies mohun on basis of darker coloration, especially below, but some birds from Myanmar and Thailand appear identical. Subspecies intergrade in peninsular Thailand, intermediates from which previously separated as subspecies celadinus.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
harterti Hesse, 1911 - Northern India (Himachal Pradesh) east through Himalayan foothills to northern Myanmar and southern China (southern Yunnan), south to southern Thailand and Indochina.
pulverulentus (Temminck, 1826) - Peninsular Thailand south to eastern Sumatra and Riau Archipelago, western Java, Borneo and northern Natunas, and western Philippines (Balabac, Palawan).
mohun Ripley, 1950 - Northern India, Nepal and north-eastern India.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet