Cardinal Woodpecker

Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks, and zygodactyl or “yoked feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. The long tongue can be darted forward to capture insects.

The Cardinal Woodpecker is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens, is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species found in a wide range of habitats from dense forest to thornbush. It nests in a tree hole, unlined apart from wood chippings. Male on an ageing tree Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks, and zygodactyl or “yoked" feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. More

The Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens, is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species found in a wide range of habitats from dense forest to thornbush. It nests in a tree hole, unlined apart from wood chippings. More

The cardinal woodpeckers are the smallest of the woodpecker species. These shy little birds have specialised feet, with two toes facing forward and two toes facing back. Other names: Afrikaans - Kardinaalspeg : Photographer: EcoTravel Africa In addition, the cardinal woodpeckers have a set of stiffened tail feathers which act as a prop against the vertical trunk of a tree or the underside of a horizontal branch. More

Cardinal woodpecker male, in the process of excavating a tree cavity, West Coast National Park, South Africa. Dendropicos fuscescens (Cardinal woodpecker) Dendropicos fuscescens (Cardinal woodpecker) Cardinal woodpecker male, West Coast National Park, South Africa. Cardinal woodpecker female, West Coast National Park, South Africa. More

The Cardinal Woodpecker is considered to be the continent's most widespread woodpecker. Woodpeckers are known to be preferentially omnivorous foragers that feed primarily on insects and their larvae as well as other arthropods, with many species relying, to a greater or lesser extent, on plant products such as nuts, fruits and tree sap. Excerpt from Article: Ostrich 2007. More

The Cardinal Woodpecker is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Picidae bird family group which includes birds such as Woodpeckers, Wrynecks. The description for the Cardinal Woodpecker (Latin name Dendropicos fuscescens) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Dendropicos fuscescens can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 486 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 135. More

a picture of the Cardinal Woodpecker on page 145. The Cardinal Woodpecker belongs to the family of birds classified as Picidae. The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... More

Cardinal Woodpecker is found in the following countries: 1. Angola 2. Benin 3. Botswana 4. Cameroon 5. Central African Republic 6. Congo 7. Côte d'Ivoire 8. Djibouti 9. More

In the Cardinal Woodpecker, both male and femal have a brown forecrown. The male has a bright red hindcrown and that of the female is black. Both sexes have a strong moustachial stripe from the base of the bill back towards the side of the neck - in this species the moustachial streak widens towards the neck. The face of this species is white or pale grey, without strong markings. The Cardinal Woodpecker is found in woodland, forest edges, riverine woodland and open savannah and thornveld. More

For the purposes of our bird news services, Cardinal Woodpecker is classed as Ungraded: species which are unlikely to appear as wild birds in Britain or Ireland hide section Most recent photos of Cardinal Woodpecker (5) Ngulia, Kenya Ngulia, Kenya08/02/2010 Ngulia, Kenya 08/02/2010 Pafuri, Northern Province, South Africa Pafuri, Northern Province, South Africa23/10/2009 Pafuri, Northern Province, South Africa 23/10/2009 Mt. Etjo Safari Lodge, Namibia Mt. Etjo Safari Lodge, Namibia27/10/2006 Mt. More