Yellow-crested woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-crested woodpecker |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chloropicus
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| Species: |
xantholophus
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| Synonyms | |
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Thripias xantholophus |
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The yellow-crested woodpecker (Chloropicus xantholophus), also known as the golden-crowned woodpecker, is a type of bird that belongs to the woodpecker family. Some experts also call it Dendropicos xantholophus. This bird usually lives in wet tropical forests. You can find it in countries like Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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What Does the Yellow-Crested Woodpecker Look Like?
The yellow-crested woodpecker is about 22 to 25 cm (9 to 10 in) long. The male bird has a small golden patch on its head with black spots. This patch is easiest to see when the bird is showing off. The female bird does not have this golden patch.
Both male and female woodpeckers look similar in other ways. Their forehead is brown, and their cheeks and throat are whitish. A wide black stripe goes through their eye and extends to the sides of their neck. The back of their neck is black. The upper part of their body is a dull brownish-olive color. It is usually plain, but sometimes has light stripes.
Their lower back and upper tail feathers are yellowish. The tail itself is chocolate-brown. The underside of their body is brown with white spots on the chest. White stripes can be seen on their sides and lower belly. Their beak is long, with the top part being darker than the bottom. Their eyes are dark red, and their legs and feet are olive-grey. Young woodpeckers are a bit duller in color. They have fewer spots but more stripes. Both young males and females have some yellow-tipped feathers on their heads.
Where Do Yellow-Crested Woodpeckers Live?
The yellow-crested woodpecker lives in central and western Africa, near the equator. Its home stretches from western Kenya to Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. It also goes south to northwestern Angola. These birds can be found at heights from 700 to 2,150 m (2,300 to 7,100 ft) above sea level.
They like to live in thick rainforests, both old and new. They also live at the edges of forests and in plantations. These plantations might grow cocoa or coffee, as long as there are still some large trees left.
What Do Yellow-Crested Woodpeckers Do?
Both male and female yellow-crested woodpeckers often make drumming sounds. They create loud rolls that start slowly, get faster, and then fade away. This bird also makes many different sounds. It has various chattering calls and different series of notes.
They eat insects, finding them in the middle and upper parts of tree branches. They peck into the wood to find beetle larvae (young insects). They also pull off bark to find food. Sometimes, they fly out to catch insects in the air.
We don't know much about how these woodpeckers raise their young. They probably build nests between September and March in Cameroon, Kenya, and Uganda. In Angola, they likely nest between June and September.
Is the Yellow-Crested Woodpecker Safe?
This woodpecker lives across a very large area, covering almost 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi). Experts believe the number of these birds is staying steady. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says the yellow-crested woodpecker is a species of least concern. This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
