The globally threatened Great Slaty Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in Asia and perhaps the largest surviving picid in the world.
The Great Slaty Woodpecker, Mulleripicus pulverulentus, is the largest in Asia and perhaps the largest surviving picid in the world. It is associated with old-growth forests. The Great Slaty Woodpecker has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN because of its declining population due to the loss of primary forest cover throughout much of its distribution range. In Nepal, the Great Slaty Woodpecker has been assessed as endangered because it is seriously threatened by the loss and degradation of climax lowland sal and mixed broadleaf forests, especially the loss of mature trees. Deterioration of these forests has occurred at a much greater rate in the area compared to forests in other physiographic zones. The first study of this threatened woodpecker was conducted in southern lowland PAs in Banke, Bardia, and Shuklaphanta NPs. The project has documented the following results:
Population status of Great Slaty Woodpecker inside and outside PAs.
Habitat utilization and threats to the Great Slaty Woodpecker.
Production of educational materials and dissemination of knowledge through interactions and the support of the media.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Hem Sagar Baral
Study Period: 2011
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