Eastern grey woodpecker
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Eastern grey woodpecker
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| image = Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens) (21152332345).jpg
| image2 = Gray-headed Woodpecker (Dendropicos spodocephalus) (16292485246).jpg
| image2_caption = male and female
| genus = Dendropicos
| species = spodocephalus
| authority = (Bonaparte, 1850)
| synonyms =
- Chloropicus spodocephalus
}}
The eastern grey woodpecker (Dendropicos spodocephalus), also known as grey-headed woodpecker and mountain gray woodpecker, is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is a resident breeder in eastern Africa. It has a large range and is a fairly common species. No special threats have been recognised and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird's conservation status as being of "least concern".
Description
Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks, and zygodactyl or “yoked" feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. The long tongue can be darted forward to capture insects. The adult male eastern grey woodpecker has a red crown and nape, and females have a plain grey head, lacking the red crown. The upper parts of the body are yellowish-green, the rump is red, and the wings and tail are dark brown. The remaining parts of the head and the underparts are pale grey, apart from a reddish patch on the hinder part of the belly. The beak is dark grey or black, the legs are greenish-grey and the eyes red to brown. Young birds are similar to the female, but the reds are paler, and there may be some barring on the flanks and some red on the crown in both sexes.{{cite book|author1=Hans Winkler|author2=David A. Christie |title=Woodpeckers at atjammikunta
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GCLgskRFt7IC&pg=PT4 |year=2010 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4081-3504-4 |page=4}}
Distribution and habitat
Ecology
Like other woodpeckers, this species is an insectivore, and forages on trees and on the ground for moths, centipedes, larvae and pupae. It is frequently seen, and regularly taps or drums. This species and the African grey woodpecker were formerly considered conspecific.{{cite web |url=http://www.hbw.com/node/56206 |title=Grey-headed Woodpecker (Dendropicos spodocephalus) |author1=Winkler, H. |author2=Christie, D.A. |work=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |publisher=Lynx Edicions, Barcelona |access-date=12 November 2016}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Dendropicos spodocephalus|Dendropicos spodocephalus}}
- {{Wikispecies-inline|Dendropicos spodocephalus|Dendropicos spodocephalus}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q10489324}}