Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bennett’s Woodpecker
Campethera bennettii
Bennett's Woodpecker (Campethera bennettii) — 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 Bennett’s Woodpecker (Campethera bennettii) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 70.1 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 Campethera
- Species bennettii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 70.1 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 Bennett’s Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Bennett’s Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bennett’s Woodpecker (Campethera bennettii) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sc, se.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 70.1 g, with a wing length of about 11.7 cm and a tail of around 6.7 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 4.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bennett’s Woodpecker?
The Bennett’s Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 70.1 g.
Where does the Bennett’s Woodpecker live?
The Bennett’s Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF sc, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Bennett’s Woodpecker belong to?
The Bennett’s Woodpecker (Campethera bennettii) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Bennett’s Woodpecker eat?
The Bennett’s Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bennett’s Woodpecker migrate?
The Bennett’s Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bennett’s 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 Bennett’s Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Bennett’s Woodpecker — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bennett’s Woodpecker's range?
The Bennett’s Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 4.5 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.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Near Threatened
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
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.