Photo: Bruno Geisler / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker
Dendropicos poecilolaemus
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendropicos poecilolaemus) — 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 Speckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendropicos poecilolaemus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 28.1 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 Dendropicos
- Species poecilolaemus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Speckle-breasted 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 Speckle-breasted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendropicos poecilolaemus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Cameroon to Uganda, w Kenya and Rwanda.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 4.4 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 724,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker?
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 28.1 g.
Where does the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker live?
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF Cameroon to Uganda, w Kenya and Rwanda, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker belong to?
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendropicos poecilolaemus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker eat?
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker migrate?
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Speckle-breasted 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.
How large is the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker's range?
The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 724,000 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.