Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-backed Woodpecker
Dendropicos obsoletus
Brown-backed Woodpecker (Dendropicos obsoletus) — 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 Brown-backed Woodpecker (Dendropicos obsoletus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 21.4 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 obsoletus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-backed Woodpecker (Dendropicos obsoletus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF ec, c, w.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.4 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-backed Woodpecker?
The Brown-backed Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 21.4 g.
Where does the Brown-backed Woodpecker live?
The Brown-backed Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF ec, c, w, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Brown-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The Brown-backed Woodpecker (Dendropicos obsoletus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Brown-backed Woodpecker eat?
The Brown-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The Brown-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-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 Brown-backed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-backed Woodpecker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown-backed Woodpecker's range?
The Brown-backed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 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.