Grey Woodpeckers
Member of the Picidae Family: Woodpeckers ... Sapsuckers ... Flickers
Backyard Habitat: Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden ... Bird Feeding Stations ... Nesting Habits of Wild Birds and Build-Your-Own Nesting Boxes ... Wild Bird Houses / Nests (Fancy & Practical) .... Water Fountains ... Bird Baths ...... Books, Videos, CDs & DVDs
Distribution / Habitat:
The Grey Woodpecker (Dendropicos goertae) is a widespread and frequently common resident breeder in much of equatorial Africa. It is a species associated with forest and bush which nests in a tree hole, often in an Oil Palm, laying two to four eggs.
Description:
Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks, and zygodactyl or “yoked" feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. The long tongue can be darted forward to capture insects.
This bird is 20cm in length. It is a typical woodpecker shape, and has unmarked green upperparts and a pale grey head and underparts. The rump is red, and there is a small red belly patch. The short tail is blackish.
The adult male Grey Woodpecker has a red crown.
Females have a plain grey head, lacking the red crown.
Young birds are like the female, but the reds are paler, and there may be some flank barring.
Diet:
Like other woodpeckers, this species is an insectivore. It is frequently seen, and regularly taps or drums.
Call / Song:
The call is a loud and fast peet-peet-peet-peet.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Related Web Resources: Mangoverde
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
