Speckle-throated Woodpecker
Campethera scriptoricauda
Speckle-throated Woodpecker (Campethera scriptoricauda) — 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-throated Woodpecker (Campethera scriptoricauda) is a member of the Picidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 59.7 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 scriptoricauda
Quick facts
- Weight
- 59.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Speckle-throated 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 Speckle-throated Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker (Campethera scriptoricauda) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Tanzania to Malawi and Mozambique.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 59.7 g, with a wing length of about 11.2 cm and a tail of around 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 752,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Speckle-throated Woodpecker?
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 59.7 g.
Where does the Speckle-throated Woodpecker live?
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF Tanzania to Malawi and Mozambique, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Speckle-throated Woodpecker belong to?
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker (Campethera scriptoricauda) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Speckle-throated Woodpecker eat?
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Speckle-throated Woodpecker migrate?
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Speckle-throated 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 Speckle-throated Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Speckle-throated 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 Speckle-throated Woodpecker's range?
The Speckle-throated Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 752,000 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.