The Scaly-bellied Woodpecker has different head colors in adult males and females and a scale-like pattern on its belly. Its range and feeding records are presented for separate regions.
Adult males have a red crown, while adult females have a black crown. The breast, belly, and undertail coverts have a scale-like pattern formed by dark feather edges. The account reports no seasonal plumage change.
Historical records from Central Asian tugai forest describe birds searching mainly for ants on the ground; one observation reported green caterpillars being carried to chicks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.