Banded woodpecker | June 2020 | Singapore

It was the second day after the end of Circuit Breaker in Singapore. There was chatter in our "birding groups" that there is a sighting of Banded Woodpecker with its fledgling. Also heard that there is a possibility of the chicks leaving home, so we need to go within next couple of days. With a lot of apprehension, with stricter social distancing norms, I took a chance with one of my friend to photograph the unique behaviour of the bird. Reached there in the late afternoon around 4:30-ish and saw around 7-8 photographers around the long stretch of a fenced waterbody. After setting the gears, I heard from others that they have been waiting for last four hours for the mother to come for the feed. Next 30 mins was just checking the settings and adjusting the focus of the camera. Sudden attentiveness form other photographers made me put my eyes on the camera. In next 15 mins started an amazing sequence of behavioural pattern. The mother opened her mouth and the chick puts her beak right down into her throat to suck the food. This activity repeated itself for 4-5 times, then the mother entered the nest and with few minutes it came out and flew out. However in next 30 mins we saw the male come and repeat this activity.The woodpecker would come and perch in a nearby branch, wait for few minutes to see if all is good , then it will fly to the nesting hole.(The male Banded Woodpecker has a red crest and upper parts, yellow nape, with narrow bands on the underside. The female is less yellow, and has white spots on its face.) Some captures to experience the entire saga. In the next 4 days the chicks already left home to become another independent woodpecker in the nature.