Woodpecker in Malaysian Rainforest and Woodie in USA

Orange-Backed Woodpecker (Photo Credit: YL Yeo)

There are a total of 42 species of woodpeckers in South east Asia (including Malaysia). I suppose my fascination of Woodpeckers ("Woodies") was ignited by a very familiar cartoon character from Universal Pictures , USA who goes by the name of Woody Woodpecker. Would literally hear this cartoon character's odd goofish "calls" before the program starts. As kids, my sisters and I would rush to the front of the TV after we'd have our dinner and laugh at Woodie's antics. Walter Lanz was the creator of this red-headed woodpecker who first appeared in the 1940s on Television through a show called "Knock Knock" (as per picture below). The orange-backed woodpecker has a very loud call and I was initially "fooled" into thinking it was a large squirrel that was calling when I saw this woodpecker species in Taman Negara. Though our Malaysian woodpecker doesn't possess the weird behaviour and isn't up to mischief-making like the USA cartoon character, I think its loud calls would have put Woodie to shame:) For Woodpeckers of World by Gerard Gorman, click HERE.