Photo: sknyazev / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Olive Woodpecker
Dendropicos griseocephalus
Olive Woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Olive Woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 40.9 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 griseocephalus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 40.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Olive Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Olive Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Olive Woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF s, sc.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 40.9 g, with a wing length of about 10.5 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 2.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Olive Woodpecker?
The Olive Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 40.9 g.
Where does the Olive Woodpecker live?
The Olive Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, sc, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Olive Woodpecker belong to?
The Olive Woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Olive Woodpecker eat?
The Olive Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Olive Woodpecker migrate?
The Olive Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Olive 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 Olive Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Olive Woodpecker — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Olive Woodpecker's range?
The Olive Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 2.2 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.