| Gabon woodpecker | |
|---|---|
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| Illustration (left) with melancholy woodpecker | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Dendropicos |
| Species: | D. gabonensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Dendropicos gabonensis | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Gabon woodpecker (Dendropicos gabonensis) is a species of small woodpecker in the family Picidae which occurs in western central Africa.
The Gabon woodpecker is a small woodpecker with a short bill which is quite broad at the base. It has plain green upperparts, a plain dark tail and heavily spotted underparts with a yellowish background colour. The crown is brownish but the males have a red hindcrown and nape, as well as an indistinct, narrow moustachial. The adult females lack red on the head, however both sexes of juveniles have red on the centre of the crown. The subspecies D.g. reichenowihas a more distinct moustachial stripe, broader underpart streaking and a lesser extent of red on the adult male's head than the nominate subspecies. [3] They are 16–17 cm in length and weigh 24–30 g. [4]
There are two currently recognised subspecies, they and their distribution are: [4]
The melancholy woodpecker Dendropicos lugubris which breeds from Sierra Leone east to Nigeria, is sometimes considered a subspecies of Gabon woodpecker and D.g. reichenowi is intermediate in appearance between lugubris and gabonensis. [3]
The Gabon woodpecker occurs in forest edge, tall secondary growth and the wooded edges of farmland, normally lower than 1400m above sea level. It avoids dense forest and savannas. [3]
The Gabon woodpecker breeds in September and October in the west and June in Uganda. It forages by probing into and gleaning from bark, as well as pecking at and prising off pieces of bark and soft wood. [3]
The African thrush or West African thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is common in well-wooded areas over much of the western part of sub-Saharan Africa, it was once considered to be conspecific with the olive thrush but that species has now been split further. Populations are resident (non-migratory).
The African grey woodpecker is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. Is a widespread and frequently common resident breeder in much of Sub-Saharan and equatorial Africa. It is a species associated with forest and bush which nests in a tree hole, often in an oil palm, laying two to four eggs. It is a common bird with a very wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The cardinal woodpecker is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dense forest to thorn bush. They are fairly vocal and are easily identified by their call notes. The sexes are distinguishable by their head patterns.
The bar-breasted firefinch is a common species of estrildid finch found in western and central Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 2,900,000 km².
The African firefinch, also called the dark firefinch or blue-billed firefinch due to the color of its bill, is a common species of estrildid finch found in almost all parts of Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 5,400,000 km2 (2,100,000 sq mi).
The grey-headed kingfisher has a wide distribution from the Cape Verde Islands off the north-west coast of Africa to Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia, east to Ethiopia, Somalia and southern Arabia and south to South Africa.
The Senegal lapwing or lesser black-winged lapwing is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The northern double-collared sunbird, or golden-winged sunbird,, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.
The baglafecht weaver is a species of weaver bird from the family Ploceidae which is found in eastern and central Africa. There are several disjunct populations with distinguishable plumage patterns. Only some races display a discrete non-breeding plumage.
The African broadbill, also known as the black-capped broadbill or Delacour's broadbill is a species of bird in the sub-oscine family Calyptomenidae.
The marsh tchagra or blackcap bush-shrike is a species of passerine bird placed in the monotypic genus Bocagia in the family Malaconotidae. It is native to marshes in the tropics and subtropics of Africa. It is sometimes placed in the genus Tchagra.
The green-backed woodpecker or little spotted woodpecker, is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is native to large parts of tropical central Africa. It has an extensive range and is an uncommon species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The brown-backed woodpecker is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in a belt across the savannah region of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in the east. It is generally uncommon, but has a very large range and the population appears to be steady, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Elliot's woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It has an extremely wide range and is described as an uncommon species. However, no particular threats to this species have been established, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The yellow-rumped tinkerbird is a bird species in the family Lybiidae, which is native to the moist tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
The yellow-crested woodpecker, also known as the golden-crowned woodpecker, is a species of bird in the family Picidae. Some taxonomic authorities place this species in Dendropicos. Its typical habitat is wet tropical forest and it is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The hairy-breasted barbet is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found throughout the Africa tropical rainforest.
Bates's paradise flycatcher is a passerine bird belonging to the monarch-flycatcher family, Monarchidae. The sexes are similar in appearance with the upper parts being rufous and the head and underparts being bluish-grey. It is native to central Africa where it is found in the understorey of forests.
The melancholy woodpecker is a species of woodpecker. It is found in West Africa from Sierra Leone east to Nigeria, living in forests, forest edges, clearings and woodlands. It is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the Gabon woodpecker. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as a least-concern species.
The rufous-bellied helmetshrike or Gabon helmetshrike is a passerine bird belonging to the Vanga family, Vangidae. It inhabits tropical forest in Central Africa. It is sometimes included within the chestnut-bellied helmetshrike of West Africa.
