Gabon woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gabon woodpecker |
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The Gabon woodpecker (Dendropicos gabonensis) is a small bird that lives in western central Africa. It belongs to the Picidae family, which includes all woodpeckers. This bird is known for its green feathers and spotted belly.
What it Looks Like
The Gabon woodpecker is a small bird with a short beak that is quite wide at its base. Its back and wings are plain green. Its tail is dark. The belly is yellowish with many dark spots.
The top of its head is brownish. Male Gabon woodpeckers have a red patch on the back of their head and neck. They also have a faint, narrow stripe that looks like a mustache. Adult female woodpeckers do not have any red on their heads. However, young birds of both sexes have some red in the middle of their heads.
There are two main types, or subspecies, of Gabon woodpeckers. One type, called D.g. reichenowi, has a clearer mustache stripe. Its spots on the belly are also wider. The red patch on the male's head is smaller than in the other type. These woodpeckers are about 16–17 centimeters (6–7 inches) long. They weigh between 24 and 30 grams (less than an ounce).
Where it Lives and its Types
There are two types of Gabon woodpeckers that scientists officially recognize. Here is where they are found:
- Dendropicos gabonensis reichenowi: This type lives from southern Nigeria to southwestern Cameroon.
- Dendropicos gabonensis gabonensis: This type is found in southern Cameroon (but not the southwest). It also lives in the southwestern Central African Republic. Its range goes south to the southern Republic of Congo. It stretches east across northern and central Democratic Republic of Congo. It reaches the western slopes of the Ruwenzori Mountains and goes south to western Kasai. It can also be found in the far west of Uganda. Some reports say it lives in Cabinda, an area of Angola, but this is not certain.
Sometimes, another bird called the melancholy woodpecker (Dendropicos lugubris) is thought to be a type of Gabon woodpecker. The melancholy woodpecker lives from Sierra Leone east to Nigeria. The D.g. reichenowi type looks like a mix between the melancholy woodpecker and the gabonensis type.
Its Home
The Gabon woodpecker likes to live on the edges of forests. It also lives in areas with tall, new plant growth after a forest has been cut down. You can also find it in the wooded parts near farms. It usually lives in places lower than 1400 meters (about 4,600 feet) above sea level. It does not like very dense forests or open grasslands called savannas.
Life and Habits
The Gabon woodpecker lays its eggs and raises its young at different times of the year. In the western parts of its home, it breeds in September and October. In Uganda, it breeds in June.
This woodpecker finds its food by poking into tree bark. It also picks insects off the bark. Sometimes, it pecks at and pulls off pieces of bark or soft wood to find hidden food.
