Photo: Brad Schram / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Nubian Woodpecker
Campethera nubica
Nubian Woodpecker (Campethera nubica) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Nubian Woodpecker (Campethera nubica) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 59.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Campethera
- Species nubica
Quick facts
- Weight
- 59.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Nubian Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Nubian Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Nubian Woodpecker (Campethera nubica) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, ne.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 59.7 g, with a wing length of about 10.9 cm and a tail of around 6.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Nubian Woodpecker?
The Nubian Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 59.7 g.
Where does the Nubian Woodpecker live?
The Nubian Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, ne, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Nubian Woodpecker belong to?
The Nubian Woodpecker (Campethera nubica) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Nubian Woodpecker eat?
The Nubian Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Nubian Woodpecker migrate?
The Nubian Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Nubian Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Nubian Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Nubian Woodpecker — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Nubian Woodpecker's range?
The Nubian Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 3.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.