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
- Scientific name
- Dendropicos elachus
- Authority
- Oberholser, 1919
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Dendropicos
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Little is known about the ecology of this species. Its typical habitat is steppe with scattered trees, wadis and dry stream beds. It feeds in trees such as Acacia and Balanites by pecking and hammering to obtain insects. Breeding has been observed between October and May in different parts of its range. A nest has been observed in the branch of an Acacia.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
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