Alternative name: Algerian Woodpecker
- Picus vaillantii
Identification
31–33 cm (12-13 in)
- Dark green upperparts
- Yellowy-green underparts
- Red nape
- Black moustache with a light upper border
- Yellow rump
- Black and white barred primaries
- Grey bill and feet
Male has a crimson crown
Female has a grey crown and red nape
Similar Species
Differs from the closely related Eurasian Green Woodpecker Picus viridis in lacking black around the eye, and in females having a grey, not red, crown. The Iberian Green Woodpecker Picus (viridis) sharpei is intermediate.
Distribution
Northwest Africa: found in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Mountain forests.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet is chiefly insects, particularly ants, which are captured using their long sticky tongues.
Breeding
They nest in tree holes. The clutch consists of 4-8 glossy white eggs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2015)
- Wikipedia
- Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Levaillant's Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Levaillant%27s_Woodpecker
