Fine-spotted woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fine-spotted woodpecker |
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The fine-spotted woodpecker (Campethera punctuligera) is a fascinating bird. It belongs to the woodpecker family, called Picidae. You can find this bird all over west and central tropical Africa. It likes to live in open forests, savannas, and bushy areas. This woodpecker is quite common, and experts say it's a "species of least concern". This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
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What Does the Fine-spotted Woodpecker Look Like?
This woodpecker is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long. It has the classic woodpecker shape. Its upper body is green with many small, pale spots. However, its lower back and tail have pale bars instead of spots.
Its belly and chest are whitish or yellowish. These parts also have fine dark spots. The head is whitish with gray cheeks and chin, covered in tiny dark spots.
Differences Between Males and Females
- Adult males have a bright red crown (top of the head). They also have red stripes near their beak, like a mustache.
- Adult females have a dark front part of their crown. The back half of their crown is red. They do not have the red mustache stripes.
- Young birds look similar to the female. Their green feathers are a bit darker.
Special Features of Woodpeckers
Like other woodpeckers, this species has some cool features:
- It has a straight, pointed beak. This beak is perfect for pecking into wood.
- Its tail is stiff. This helps it lean against tree trunks while climbing and pecking.
- It has special feet called "zygodactyl" feet. This means two toes point forward and two point backward. This helps them grip trees tightly.
- It has a long tongue. It can shoot its tongue out quickly to catch insects.
- This woodpecker is quite vocal. Its call sounds like a loud kip-kip-kip-kiech-kiech-kiech.
Where Does the Fine-spotted Woodpecker Live?
The fine-spotted woodpecker lives in tropical West and Central Africa. Its home range is very wide! It includes countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You can also find it in Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, and Togo.
Its favorite places to live are:
- Wooded savannas
- Scrublands
- Grasslands with scattered Acacia trees and other trees
What Does the Fine-spotted Woodpecker Eat?
Like most woodpeckers, this species loves to eat insects. It is especially good at finding and eating termites. You can often see it near termite mounds. It also picks insects off trees and from the ground.
Social Life and Reproduction
- These woodpeckers often look for food in small family groups.
- Sometimes, they even join other types of birds in mixed flocks.
- They build their nests inside tree holes. They often choose holes in oil palm trees.
- A female woodpecker usually lays two or three white eggs.
