Bird Album
Olive Woodpecker
Dendropicos griseocephalus (Boddaert, 1783)
41 gWeight
The olive woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae.
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Uganda, Zambia
Where and when it's recorded
Olive Woodpecker has been recorded at 75 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kirstenbosch Botanical GardenSouth Africa421 records
- Eshowe – Dlinza ForestSouth Africa205 records
- West Usambara Mountains – Old Sawmill TrackTanzania97 records
More places
- Harold Porter Botanical GardensSouth Africa81 records
- Mgahinga Gorilla NPUganda69 records
- Bwindi-Impenetrable NP – Mubwindi SwampUganda65 records
- Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa58 records
- Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Ruhija to Broadbill WalkUganda49 records
- Luwawa Forest LodgeMalawi44 records
- Caprivi Houseboat LodgeNamibia39 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 olive woodpecker (Dendropicos griseocephalus) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is in the Dendropicos genus, which comprises small woodpeckers native to Sub-Saharan Africa. There are three described subspecies, all inhabiting various regions of southeast Africa; the red-bellied olive woodpecker (D. g. ruwenzori), the montane olive woodpecker (D. g. kilimensis), and the southern olive woodpecker (D. g. griseocephalus).
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Olive Woodpecker?
The Olive Woodpecker weighs around 41 g.
Where does the Olive Woodpecker live?
Its breeding range: Africa: southern, south-central. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.
When is the best time to see the Olive Woodpecker?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Olive Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Olive Woodpecker as Least Concern.
What does the Olive Woodpecker eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Olive Woodpecker in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 41 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 105 mm
- Tail
- 66 mm
- Bill
- 27 mm
- Tarsus
- 19 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: southern, south-central
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Dendropicos
Other birds in the genus Dendropicos
Little Grey WoodpeckerDendropicos elachus
Speckle-breasted WoodpeckerDendropicos poecilolaemus
Abyssinian WoodpeckerDendropicos abyssinicus
Cardinal WoodpeckerDendropicos fuscescens
Gabon WoodpeckerDendropicos gabonensis
Melancholy WoodpeckerDendropicos lugubris
Stierling's WoodpeckerDendropicos stierlingi
Elliot's WoodpeckerDendropicos elliotii
African Grey WoodpeckerDendropicos goertae
Eastern Grey WoodpeckerDendropicos spodocephalus
Brown-backed WoodpeckerDendropicos obsoletus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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