Photo: J G Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Melancholy Woodpecker
Dendropicos lugubris
Melancholy Woodpecker (Dendropicos lugubris) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
The Melancholy Woodpecker (Dendropicos lugubris) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 25.9 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 lugubris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Melancholy Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
Where it spends much of its time perched among vegetation.
Migration
The Melancholy Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Melancholy Woodpecker (Dendropicos lugubris) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sierra Leone to sw Nigeria.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.6 cm and a tail of around 4.3 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 661,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Melancholy Woodpecker?
The Melancholy Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 25.9 g.
Where does the Melancholy Woodpecker live?
The Melancholy Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sierra Leone to sw Nigeria.
What family does the Melancholy Woodpecker belong to?
The Melancholy Woodpecker (Dendropicos lugubris) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Melancholy Woodpecker eat?
The Melancholy Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Melancholy Woodpecker migrate?
The Melancholy Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Melancholy 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 Melancholy Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Melancholy 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 Melancholy Woodpecker's range?
The Melancholy Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 661,000 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.