Bennett's woodpecker
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Campethera bennettii

Bennett's woodpecker (Campethera bennettii ) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in woodlands and bushes in Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a least-concern species.

Appearance

Bennett's woodpecker is about 24 cm (9.4 in) long and weighs 61–84 g (2.2–3.0 oz). The male's forehead, crown and nape are red. The chin and throat are white. The upperparts are brown, yellow and white. The underparts are pale yellow, and there are dark spots on the breast and flanks. The eyes are red, the beak is grey, and the legs are bluish-green or grey-green. The female has a black forehead with white spots, and its ear coverts and throat are brown or blackish-brown. The juvenile bird has a black forehead and crown and darker upperparts. The subspecies capricorni is slightly larger, and its underparts have a deeper colour and fewer spots.

Distribution

Geography

This woodpecker is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and it has a patchy distribution. Its habitat is woodlands and bushes, including miombo, Baikiaea, Acacia and mopane woodlands.

Bennett's woodpecker habitat map
Bennett's woodpecker habitat map
Bennett's woodpecker
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Habits and Lifestyle

Bennett's woodpecker is found singly, in pairs or in family groups. It mostly forages on the ground, either bare or with short grass, and also feeds in trees. It mostly eats ants and termites, including their eggs. Its calls include chuur notes, a series of wi-wi-wi-wi, kee-kee-kee or ddrahh, ddrahh, ddray-ay, ddray-ay, and a chattering wirrit-wirrit. Breeding occurs from August to February. The woodpecker excavates or reuses holes in trees. Three eggs are laid and then incubated for 15 to 18 days.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Population

Population number

The species has a stable population and there is no evidence of substantial threats, so the IUCN has assessed it as a least-concern species.

References

1. Bennett's woodpecker Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett's_woodpecker
2. Bennett's woodpecker on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22730259/95025612
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/682056

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