Stierling's Woodpecker
Dendropicos stierlingi
A medium-sized woodpecker with pale underparts that are covered with dark arrow-shaped markings. Has a bold facial pattern: crown is dark in the female and dark (forecrown) and red (hindcrown) in the male. Scarce and poorly known species that is found locally in lush patches of Miombo broadleaf woodland. Tends to feed on medium-sized and large tree branches. The calls include a weak rattling call, and a typical woodpecker “pik”. The drum is fast and repeated several times. Similar overall coloration to Bearded Woodpecker, but much smaller, without pale barring on the brown back, and with paler, arrow-marked underparts. Distinguished from other woodpeckers in its range by the unmarked brownish back.
Identification
This woodpecker grows to a length of about 17.5 cm (7 in). The sexes are different, being distinguished by the male having a red mid-crown and nape and the female having a brown crown with pale streaks and a black nape. The upper parts of both sexes are plain olive brown and the underparts white or cream with brown markings. The face, neck, chin and throat are white. A brown band extends from the eye across the ear coverts, and a brown malar streak extends to the breast. The wings are brown above and white below, and the tail is brown with a buff tip and pale underside. The beak is grey with a paler base, the legs are grey or olive and the iris of the eye reddish.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Dendropicos stierlingi
- Authority
- Reichenow, 1901
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Dendropicos
Range and habitat
The species is endemic to southeastern Africa, its range including southern Tanzania, southwestern Malawi and northern Mozambique. It is a resident species inhabiting open miombo woodland but avoiding dense forest. It is found at altitudes of up to 1,500 m (5,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Stierling's woodpecker forages for insects, centipedes and other invertebrates in the middle and upper parts of the canopy. It mostly searches on branches between 4 and 12 cm (1.6 and 4.7 in) in diameter; this may prevent undue competition between it and the cardinal woodpecker (D. fuscescens), which forages mainly on smaller branches and twigs. It sometimes flies into the air to catch winged termites, but it is less adept at this than are some other species of woodpecker. Breeding is thought to take place between July and October, the nest being made in a hole in a tree.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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