Little Gray Woodpecker
Dendropicos elachus
Small, pale woodpecker of the Sahel. The back is pale gray with white barring, the rump is red, the underparts are heavily spotted and barred, and there is a gray mark on the cheek. Males have a red mark on the back of their head. Generally local and uncommon in dry thorn savanna and areas of semi-desert that support trees and bushes. The calls are high-pitched trills and “krit” notes, many quite similar to calls of Cardinal Woodpecker, but higher-pitched. Similar in size and shape to Brown-backed Woodpecker, but distinguished by the paler, barred back and the red rump. Also similar to Cardinal Woodpecker, but paler overall, with a dusky cheek.
Identification
The little grey woodpecker is a very small woodpecker, growing to a length of between 12 and 14 cm (4.7 and 5.5 in). The beak is relatively long and broad. The male has a red hind crown and nape while the female lacks these. Otherwise the sexes are similar. The head is brown with a slight white supercilium and a narrow darker brown moustachial stripe. The upper parts of the body are greyish-brown barred with white and so are the wings and tail. The rump and upper tail coverts are red, which is particularly noticeable in flight. The beak is grey, the feet greenish-grey and the eye brown. Juveniles resemble adults but the general effect is duller. The plumage of the little grey woodpecker, especially the facial features, fade very rapidly and this bird can be confused with the brown-backed woodpecker (Dendropicos obsoletus). However, that species has a more distinctly contrasting brown and white head and plain brown plumage, and lacks the red rump.
Taxonomy
Genus: Dendropicos; Family: Picidae; Order: Piciformes.
- Scientific name
- Dendropicos elachus
- Authority
- Oberholser, 1919
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Dendropicos
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Necklaced Woodpecker
Dryobates pernyii
Fairly small, stout black-and-white woodpecker with buffy underparts. Male is brightly marked with a flaming orange patch on the neck, a crimson crown, and a dull orange vent. Also note the red chest patch bordered with a black stripe. Females are duller, but sometimes have a paler orange neck and breast patch. Similar in coloration to Darjeeling and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, but Crimson-breasted is noticeably smaller and stouter. Inhabits mid- to high-altitude broadleaf forests. Gives a loud “chik!”, as well as a descending rattle.
Mountain Kingfisher
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A large kingfisher of foothill and mid-montane forest. Bright orange head and body, blue back and tail, bright yellow bill and black mark on the back of the head. Females also have a black mark on the crown. Almost identical to Yellow-billed Kingfisher, but Mountain Kingfisher is larger, found higher up, and most birds have a dark smudge on top of the bill. Call, an accelerating series of loud notes, first rising slightly, then falling and ending in a trill. Remeniscent of a New World antshrike.
Golden-naped Tanager
Chalcothraupis ruficervix
Small, stunning tanager mostly turquoise blue with a buffy vent. Look for black face and small buffy-orange patch on rear crown. Sexes alike. Usually found in pairs, often following a mixed-species flock in the canopy. An Andean species, found in subtropical forests, edges, and gardens. Visits fruit feeders.
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