Alternative names: Pygmy Wood Piculet; Pygmy Woodpecker
- Verreauxia africana
Sasia africana
Identification
9-10cm. The only piculet in Africa.
- Chestnut to rufous forehead
- Thin blackish stripe behind eye bordered above by short white line
- Dark grey rest of head
- Darker ear-coverts with white crescent at lower rear border
- Dark green upperparts tinged yellow
- Darkish grey underparts
Female without chestnut on forehead.
Juveniles with rufous feather tips on head, belly and flanks.
Distribution
Africa:
Western Africa: Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Uganda
Locally common.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly placed in genus Sasia.
Habitat
Found in humid forest, also in gallery forest.
Occurs from lowlands up to 700 m, locally up to 1000 m asl.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on wood-boring beetle larvae, takes also other beetles and insects.
Usually seen in pairs or in groups of three. Sometimes joins mixed-species flocks.
Searches for food in lower storey, constantly moving.
Breeding
Breeding season June to March. The nest is excavated in a narrow branch 1.5m above the ground. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
A resident species, some dispersal possible.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 2002. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334375
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) African Piculet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Piculet
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
