Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes grammithorax is split from Zebra (formerly Buff-rumped) Woodpecker M. tristis (Clements 2007:260)

Summary: The Zebra Woodpecker is now yet another rare endemic to Java. It remains little-known and its vocalizations especially need documentation.

Details: Meiglyptes grammithorax of the Malayan region was originally described as a separate species in 1862, long after the 1821 description of M. tristis, although tristis even then was seemingly much rarer (Malherbe 1862) and with a much more limited distribution, being restricted to Java. Hesse (1912) treated grammithorax as a subspecies of tristis, however, and this has been followed since, until split by del Hoyo and Collar (2014). Several differences in plumage were outlined by del Hoyo and Collar (2014) and the two taxa may differ vocally, but further recordings of tristis and analyses will be needed to substantiate this. The marked plumage differences between grammithorax and the rare Javan endemic tristis have led the WGAC, followed by Clements et al. (2023) and Gill et al. (2023, IOC v.13.2), to agree with their treatment as two species.

English names: The English name Zebra Woodpecker for Javan M. tristis suggested by Eaton et al. (2016) highlights its bolder barring and aligns with Gill et al. (2023, IOC v.13.2). The much more widely distributed daughter species M. grammithorax retains the apt and familiar name Buff-rumped Woodpecker.