The brown-eared woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is native to the African tropical rainforest. There are two subspecies; P. c. caroli in the eastern part of its range and P. c. arizela, present from Guinea-Bissau in the west to Nigeria in the east. This bird has a wide range and is a common species in some areas, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland to submontane tropical rainforests, including primary forest, edges, secondary growth, and wooded plantations such as cocoa. It favors dense, humid habitats with abundant dead wood and lianas where it can probe for insects. Often seen from the understory to mid-canopy, moving deliberately along trunks and larger branches. It tolerates some habitat mosaic but declines where continuous forest is heavily fragmented.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small African woodpecker of humid forests, the brown-eared woodpecker is named for its distinctive brown ear coverts. It has two subspecies: P. c. caroli in the eastern part of the range and P. c. arizela from Guinea-Bissau east to Nigeria. Often quiet and unobtrusive, it forages methodically on trunks and branches for ants and other insects. Its presence helps control forest insect populations, including termites.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
undulating with short, direct bursts between trees
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks in the forest. Nests are excavated in dead trunks or large branches, where both sexes likely participate in excavation and incubation. Clutch size is small, and pairs defend the immediate nesting area.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, including thin ki-ki notes and short series of taps. Drumming is modest and brief compared to larger woodpeckers, often used for contact rather than long-distance advertisement.
