The Nubian woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is distributed widely in Central and Eastern Africa, from Chad in west to Somalia in east and Tanzania in south. It is a fairly common species with a wide range, the population seems stable, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Region
East and Northeast Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern Chad and South Sudan across Ethiopia and Somalia to Kenya and northern Tanzania, with scattered populations in adjacent regions. It favors dry savannas, thornveld, and open acacia or commiphora woodland, and is also found along riparian woodland edges. The species tolerates lightly settled areas, field edges, and scattered trees in rangelands. It generally avoids dense closed forest and very treeless deserts.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This woodpecker specializes in ants and termites, often gleaning them from acacia bark and sometimes from the ground or termite mounds. Males have a bright red crown, while females show a black-and-white spotted crown with a red nape, making sexing in the field straightforward. It adapts well to dry savanna and thorn scrub and benefits farmers by reducing insect pests. Nesting is in tree cavities excavated by the pair.
Female, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
undulating flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, occasionally with mixed-species foraging flocks. Pairs excavate nest cavities in dead or soft wood and typically lay a small clutch cared for by both sexes. Territorial calling and display flights occur near the breeding site.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are sharp rattles, chattering series, and repeated tchik notes, often delivered from exposed perches. Drumming is infrequent and subdued compared to temperate woodpeckers.
Plumage
Dorsal side brown to olive-brown with pale spotting and barring; underparts pale whitish to buff with dense black spots. Face pale with a darker malar stripe; wings barred; tail dark with pale bars.
Diet
Primarily feeds on ants and termites, including their larvae and pupae, which it gleans from bark crevices and probes with its long tongue. Also takes beetles and other small insects from trunks, branches, and occasionally the ground or termite mounds. May supplement with small fruits or berries opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages on acacia and other thorny trees, along woodland edges, and around termite mounds. Frequently works lower trunks and mid-canopy, and sometimes feeds on the ground in open savanna.
