- Geocolaptes olivaceus
Identification
Length 22-30 cm (8½11¾ in), mass 105-134 g.
Adult male: Head grey, gradually becoming browner towards the nape, with a malar stripe that is blackish with red flecks. The wings and back are olive-brown with sparse pale yellow spots on the back. The tail is olive-brown with golden-yellow shafts. The rump is pinkish-red, and the breast and belly are pale pinkish buff. The bill is black, the inner iris is pale cream to yellow, and the outer iris is pink. The legs and feet are dark grey.
Adult female: Similar to the male, but without an obvious malar stripe.
Juvenile: Similar to the adult female, but the eyes are grey and the rump and underparts are less red.
Distribution
Western, southern and eastern South Africa, Lesotho and western eSwatini.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1], although some authorities have recognised subspecies based on variation in the shade of the reddish plumage and the intensity of the barring on the flanks and undertail.
Habitat
Rocky grasslands and shrublands (usually tree-less) on slopes in hills and mountains. Digs nesting holes in earth banks, so often frequents road cuttings and dongas.
Behaviour
Diet
Ground Woodpeckers forage on the ground for (almost exclusively) ants. They rarely perch in trees or shrubs, preferring rocks or mounds. Usually in pairs or faily groups of up to six birds which roost in nest-holes year-round.
Breeding
Monogamous and territorial; probably breeds co-operatively. Nest burrows 0.5-1 m long are excavated by both sexes. Two to four eggs are laid July to December.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Ground Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Ground_Woodpecker
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
