Bearded woodpecker

The bearded woodpecker is a captivating bird native to the tropical regions of central Africa, belonging to the Picidae family. Its distinctive black and white head, coupled with a brown, barred body, makes it easy to identify. As one of the largest woodpeckers in Africa, it measures approximately 25 cm in length. You can differentiate between males and females by the red hind crown present on males, which is absent in females.

These birds inhabit various types of woodlands across several African countries, ranging from Angola to Zimbabwe, and are comfortable at altitudes up to 3,000 meters.

Bearded woodpeckers often forage in pairs, maintaining communication through vocal calls and loud drumming on branches. Their diet is quite diverse, including insects, larvae, spiders, caterpillars, ants, and occasionally small lizards. For nesting, they excavate holes in dead wood, where they lay around three eggs. Both parents share the incubation duties, which last for about thirteen days. Once the chicks hatch, the parents jointly care for them until they fledge at approximately four weeks old.