Ground Woodpecker

Geocolaptes olivaceus (Gmelin, JF, 1788)

22–30 cmLength120 gWeight

The ground woodpecker (Geocolaptes olivaceus) is one of only three ground-dwelling woodpeckers in the world (the others are the Andean and campo flickers).

Busiest months: October · Most records: South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Ground Woodpecker has been recorded at 25 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Rooi-ElsSouth Africa577 records
Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa304 records
Sani Pass (LS) to Black MountainsLesotho148 records

More places

Sani PassLesotho137 records
Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa74 records
Karoo NPSouth Africa54 records
Black Mountains – EastLesotho47 records
Black Mountains – WestLesotho42 records
Harold Porter Botanical GardensSouth Africa23 records
Table Mt. NP – Cape of Good HopeSouth Africa21 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa Lesotho Eswatini

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The ground woodpecker (Geocolaptes olivaceus) is one of only three ground-dwelling woodpeckers in the world (the others are the Andean and campo flickers). It inhabits rather barren, steep, boulder-strewn slopes in relatively cool hilly and mountainous areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini and has yet to be recorded outside of Southern Africa. It is found in a broad swath running from southwest to northeast, from the Cape Peninsula and Namaqualand to Mpumalanga.

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