Bearded Woodpecker
Chloropicus namaquus
A large and long-billed woodpecker with a pale-barred gray-olive belly and a bold facial pattern: the crown is black in the female and black (forecrown) and red (hindcrown) in the male. It forages solitarily or in pairs, preferring dead and decaying trunks where it can excavate for beetle larvae and other insects within savanna and riverine forest. It calls a sharp “kwip-kwip-kwip” and gives a characteristic drum that lasts about 5 seconds, beginning fast and then slowing. The similar Golden-crowned Woodpecker differs by occupying rainforest, having spotted (not barred) underparts, and having a yellow hindcrown patch in the male.
Identification
The bearded woodpecker is one of the largest woodpeckers in Africa growing to a length of about 25 cm (10 in). The head is distinctive with a black moustache, a broad black eye-stripe and black crown contrasting with a white supercilium, face, chin and throat. The male has a red hind crown which the female lacks. The mantle is black and the rest of the upper parts are yellowish-brown with narrow white barring. The tail is brown, barred white, the feathers having yellowish shafts. The underparts are grey with narrow white barring. The beak is large and greyish-black, the legs grey and the eyes red. Juveniles are similar to adults but the upper parts have a greenish tinge and more diffuse barring, and both sexes have some red colouring on the crown and nape.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Chloropicus namaquus
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, AAH, 1793)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Chloropicus
Range and habitat
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It has a wide range of habitat types including woodland with sizeable trees, Brachystegia woodland, Euphorbia and Acacia woodland, the fringes of gallery forests and brushland. It is present from the lowlands up to altitudes of about 3,000 m (10,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The bearded woodpecker often forages in pairs which communicate with each other vocally, flicking their wings as they call. Each bird will spend a long time on a single tree, hammering, probing and pecking with its beak and gleaning any stray insects it encounters, before flying off to another, often distant, tree. The diet consists of insects and their larvae, spiders, caterpillars and ants. It has been known to catch geckos and small lizards. This bird often drums loudly on branches, finishing each drum-roll with four taps. The nest hole is drilled in dead wood, up to 20 m (70 ft) above the ground. A clutch averaging three eggs is laid and incubation, by both parents, lasts thirteen days. The chicks are cared for by both birds and remain in the nest for about four weeks.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Brown Wood-Rail
Aramides wolfi
Large, chicken-like bird of humid lowland and foothill forest in western Ecuador and western Colombia. Brown with a gray head, yellow bill, and pink legs. Similar to Gray-cowled Wood-Rail but gray restricted to head. This rare and threatened species prefers swampy areas such as stream edges and mangroves, and is typically encountered in pairs. Shy and very hard to see. Usually first detected by it song, a very long, rollicking series of notes, often given by both members of the pair.
Lesser Horned Owl
Bubo magellanicus
Bulky horned owl of highlands from central Peru south to Tierra del Fuego. Note prominent “horns”, black-bordered face, and densely barred belly. Inhabits a wide variety of habitats, from open forests to farm fields and grasslands. Gives a double hoot, “hoohoo!”, sometimes followed by a low churring series. Sometimes active during the day.
Plain-breasted Ground Dove
Columbina minuta
Small, inconspicuous dove of savannas and open grassland with scattered low bushes and palmettos; also found locally in cane fields and pastures. Usually found in pairs or small groups, sometimes associating with other ground doves. Both sexes are rather plain overall, with diagnostic purple marks on the back, although the color is often hard to see. The female can be easily confused with the much commoner Ruddy Ground Dove, which also has a plain breast, but the Ruddy Ground Dove is larger and warmer brown overall; also note vocal differences.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.