Bearded Woodpecker

The Bearded Woodpecker, known scientifically as Chloropicus namaquus, is a striking bird, one of the largest woodpeckers in Africa, reaching a length of about 25 cm. It boasts a black and white head with a brownish barred body, making it quite the sight to behold.

Identification Tips

To identify the Bearded Woodpecker, look for its distinctive black moustache, broad black eye-stripe, and black crown, which are set against a white supercilium, face, chin, and throat. The male is adorned with a red hind crown, absent in the female. The mantle is black, while the upper parts are yellowish-brown with narrow white barring. The tail is brown, barred with white, and the underparts are grey, also with narrow white barring. The beak is large and greyish-black, the legs are grey, and the eyes are a striking red. Juveniles resemble adults but have a greenish tinge to their upper parts and more diffuse barring, with both sexes displaying some red on the crown and nape.

Habitat

The Bearded Woodpecker is found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands with sizeable trees, Brachystegia woodland, Euphorbia and Acacia woodland, as well as the fringes of gallery forests and brushland. It thrives from the lowlands to altitudes of about 3,000 m.

Distribution

This bird's range extends across tropical central Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Behaviour

The Bearded Woodpecker often forages in pairs, communicating vocally and flicking their wings as they call. They methodically hammer, probe, and peck at a single tree for a considerable time, gleaning insects before moving to another distant tree.

Song & Calls

This woodpecker is known for its drumming, which is loud and typically ends with four distinct taps.

Breeding

Nest holes are drilled into dead wood, sometimes as high as 20 m above the ground. Both parents incubate an average clutch of three eggs for thirteen days. The chicks are cared for by both parents and fledge after about four weeks.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Bearded Woodpecker consists mainly of insects and their larvae, spiders, caterpillars, and ants. It also occasionally preys on geckos and small lizards.

Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the Bearded Woodpecker as "Least Concern," indicating that it is a fairly common species with an extremely wide range.