Campethera maculosa
The Green-backed Woodpecker (Campethera maculosa) is a vibrant, medium-sized avian species belonging to the family Picidae, distinguished by its cryptic yet striking plumage. Measuring approximately 19-22 cm (7.5-8.7 inches) in length, this woodpecker sports an olive-green back that blends seamlessly with its forest habitat, complemented by yellowish-green underparts finely streaked with dusky markings. Key field marks include a dark-streaked throat and breast, with prominent sexual dimorphis...
This species primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, including primary and secondary growth, dense woodlands, and gallery forests along waterways. It is typically found at low to moderate elevations, generally below 1,500 meters.
The diet of the Green-backed Woodpecker consists predominantly of insects, with a particular fondness for ants and termites, as well as beetle larvae. It primarily forages by probing into bark crevices and gleaning from surfaces, including on the ground.
The Green-backed Woodpecker is a diurnal species, active from dawn to dusk, often foraging solitarily or in pairs and occasionally joining mixed-species flocks. Its foraging strategy is versatile, involving climbing tree trunks and branches to probe for insects, gleaning them from bark and foliag...
The Green-backed Woodpecker is a resident species found throughout a broad swath of West and Central Africa, with no significant migratory movements. Its distribution extends from Sierra Leone and Liberia eastward through Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Further east, its range inclu...
Least Concern
- The Green-backed Woodpecker is one of the few African woodpeckers known to frequently forage on the ground, searching for ants and termites in leaf litter. - Its olive-green plumage provides excellent camouflage within the dense canopy and undergrowth of its tropical forest habitat. - Sexual di...