Green-backed Woodpecker
Campethera maculosa
Green-backed Woodpecker (Campethera maculosa) — 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 Green-backed Woodpecker (Campethera maculosa) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 54 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 maculosa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 54 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 Green-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-backed Woodpecker (Campethera maculosa) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c, e, se.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 54 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 6.4 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 4.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-backed Woodpecker?
The Green-backed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 54 g.
Where does the Green-backed Woodpecker live?
The Green-backed Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, e, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Green-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The Green-backed Woodpecker (Campethera maculosa) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Green-backed Woodpecker eat?
The Green-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Green-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The Green-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-backed 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 Green-backed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Green-backed Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-backed Woodpecker's range?
The Green-backed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 4.6 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.