Pardipicus caroli
The Brown-eared Woodpecker, *Pardipicus caroli*, is a medium-sized woodpecker spanning approximately 19-22 cm (7.5-8.7 inches) in length and weighing around 40-60 grams. Its most distinctive feature is its uniform dark brown head, including the ear-coverts, which contrasts with its otherwise subdued olive-green plumage. The upperparts, wings, and tail are primarily olive-green, often with faint barring, while the rump is a striking bright yellow, visible in flight. Underparts are dull olive-y...
Found primarily in moist evergreen lowland and mid-montane forests, extending into mature secondary forests and dense vine tangles, typically from sea level up to 1,800 meters.
Mainly insectivorous, feeding on ants (including arboreal species), termites, and various insect larvae extracted from decaying wood; occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits.
The Brown-eared Woodpecker is an often quiet and inconspicuous species, typically observed alone or in pairs. It forages primarily in the lower to middle strata of the forest, meticulously gleaning and probing for insects on tree trunks, branches, and often on fallen logs or in dense undergrowth....
The Brown-eared Woodpecker exhibits a disjunct distribution across the tropical forests of West and Central Africa. The western subspecies, *Pardipicus caroli arizelus*, is found from Sierra Leone eastward through Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana. The nominate subspecies, *Pardipicus caroli caro...
Least Concern
- The Brown-eared Woodpecker is one of only three species in the relatively newly established genus *Pardipicus*, having been reclassified from *Campethera* based on genetic studies. - Despite being a woodpecker, it is notably less vocal and drums far less frequently than many of its relatives, m...