Abyssinian woodpecker

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Abyssinian woodpecker
Abyssinian Woodpecker.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Dendropicos
Species:
D. abyssinicus
Binomial name
Dendropicos abyssinicus
(Stanley, 1814) [2]
Synonyms
  • Picus Abyssinicus
  • Chloropicus abyssinicus

The Abyssinian woodpecker (Dendropicos abyssinicus), also known as the golden-backed woodpecker or the golden-mantled woodpecker, is a species of bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and Ethiopia. [1] It appears to be a close relative of the cardinal woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens. [3]

Contents

Description

The Abyssinian woodpecker is a very small woodpecker with a relatively long and broad bill. It has a golden yellow back and mantle with a bright red rump and barred wings and barred tail, the underparts are pale and heavily streaked with black. The head is striped and the male is distinguished by having a red nape and crown. The brown stripe through the eye and the golden mantle separate this species from the related Cardinal Woodpecker. [4] It measured 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and weighs 23–26 g (0.81–0.92 oz). [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Abyssinian woodpecker is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. It occurs north, up to central Eritrea and the Degua Tembien mountains in Ethiopia, [5] and east to Harar in Ethiopia and the River Alata, a tributary of the Hanger River. [3]

This species occurs in juniper woods and Hagenia forest, also in areas of Euphorbia , particularly between 1,600 and 3,000 m (5,200 and 9,800 ft) and occasionally higher. It has also been found in wooded savanna at lower altitudes. [4]

Habits

The biology and ecology of the Abyssinian woodpecker is almost unknown. It is an unobtrusive bird which probes for food among moss growing on trees. It is thought that the nesting period probably runs between December and May. [4]

Conservation status

The Abyssinian woodpecker has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable and is currently classed as Least Concern but it is thought to be decreasing in population and contracting its range due to continuing clearance of woodlands. [1]

Related Research Articles

Abyssinian roller Species of bird

The Abyssinian roller, or Senegal roller, is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across tropical Africa in a belt south of the Sahara, known as the Sahel. It is resident in the southern part of its range, but northern breeding populations are short-distance migrants, moving further south after the wet season.

Black-winged lovebird Species of bird

The black-winged lovebird also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family. At about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long, it is the largest of the lovebird genus, a group of small parrots. The adult male is easily identified by its red forehead, and the adult female by its all green head. They are native to Eritrea and Ethiopia, and they are uncommon as pets.

African citril Species of bird

The African citril, also known as the Abyssinian citril, is a species of finch. It is found from Ethiopia, Eritrea to western Kenya. It is closely related to the western and southern citril, to which it was formerly considered conspecific.

Streaky seedeater Species of bird

The streaky seedeater is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Hemprichs hornbill Species of bird

Hemprich's hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda.

White-billed starling Species of bird

The white-billed starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Somali starling Species of bird

The Somali starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.

Wattled ibis Species of bird

The wattled ibis is a species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is endemic to the Ethiopian highlands and is found only in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Dusky turtle dove Species of bird

The dusky turtle dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, and Zambia.

Black-billed wood hoopoe Species of bird

The black-billed wood hoopoe is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. It is native to eastern Africa where it is found in wooded and scrubby areas.

Grey-headed batis Species of bird

The grey-headed batis is a species of bird in the wattle-eyes family, Platysteiridae, it was previously classified with the Old World flycatchers in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in eastern and central Africa.

Abyssinian slaty flycatcher Species of bird

The Abyssinian slaty flycatcher, also known as Abyssinian flycatcher, Abyssinian black flycatcher or Abyssinian chocolate flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers. It is often placed in the genus Dioptrornis. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Little rock thrush Species of bird

The little rock thrush is a passerine bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen. It is found in rocky areas with some trees, and sometimes near settlements. At 15 to 16 centimetres this is the smallest of the Muscicapidae. The male has the head, throat and upper mantle blue-grey, the underparts orange-red, except for the center blackish center tail and tips which form an inverted T shape. The female is duller and paler. It is readily mistaken for a redstart because of its habit of trembling its tail.

Tacazze sunbird Species of bird

The Tacazze sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver Species of bird

The chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae.

White-rumped babbler Species of bird

The white-rumped babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.

Yellow-breasted barbet Species of bird

The yellow-breasted barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family. It is found in Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan.

Abyssinian thrush Species of bird

The Abyssinian thrush is a passerine bird in the family Turdidae. It is also known as the African mountain thrush, northern olive thrush or Ethiopian thrush. In 2010, the species was confirmed as separate from the olive thrush due to genetic differences. Their ranges do not overlap. The southern and northern populations may be distinct species. The Abyssinian thrush is found in Eritrea and other parts of the Horn of Africa, as well as an area to the southeast extending from the African Great Lakes region to north eastern Zambia and Malawi.

Sesemat (exclosure) Exclosure for woodland restoration in Ethiopia

Sesemat is an exclosure located in the Dogu'a Tembien woreda of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The area has been protected since 1993 by the local community.

Tukhul (exclosure) Exclosure for woodland restoration in Ethiopia

Tukhul is an exclosure located in between the villages of Tukhul and Miheni in the Dogu'a Tembien woreda of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The area has been protected since 1998 by the local community.

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Dendropicos abyssinicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22680959A92887800. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680959A92887800.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Dendropicos abyssinicus (Stanley, 1814)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (https://www.itis.gov). Archived from the original on 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  3. 1 2 3 "Abyssinian Woodpecker (Dendropicos abyssinicus)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  4. 1 2 3 Winkler, Hans; Christie, David A.; Nurney, David (1995). Woodpeckers A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press. p. 240. ISBN   1-873403-25-9.
  5. ↑ Aerts, R.; Lerouge, F.; November, E. (2019). Birds of forests and open woodlands in the highlands of Dogu'a Tembien. In: Nyssen J., Jacob, M., Frankl, A. (Eds.). Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District. SpringerNature. ISBN   978-3-030-04954-6.
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