Woodhouse's antpecker

Woodhouse's antpecker is a species of passerine bird found in West Africa that is placed in the estrildid finch family, Estrildidae. The name commemorates the American explorer and collector Samuel Washington Woodhouse.

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Distribution

Region

West Africa

Typical Environment

Occurs in the Upper Guinea forest zone from southeastern Guinea and Sierra Leone through Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to western Ghana. It inhabits lowland and foothill evergreen forest, including secondary growth, gallery forest, and forest edges. The species favors dense understory with lianas and vine tangles and will use selectively logged or regenerating forest if thick cover remains. It is generally absent from open farmland away from forest but may forage along shaded plantations bordering intact woodland.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size12–13 cm

Wing Span18–20 cm

Male Weight0.017 kg

Female Weight0.015 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Woodhouse's antpecker is a small West African forest finch in the Estrildidae, unusual in the family for being chiefly insectivorous. Its stout bill is adapted for prying and pecking at bark, dead leaves, and insect nests to extract ants, termites, and their larvae. The bird is shy and often keeps to dense vine tangles in the lower forest, making it easy to overlook. It commemorates the American explorer and collector Samuel Washington Woodhouse.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

shy and skulking

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats through dense understory

Social Behavior

Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, often keeping low in vine tangles. It sometimes joins mixed-species understory flocks while foraging. Breeding is presumed monogamous, with a nest placed low in dense cover; both parents likely attend the young.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Vocalizations are soft and high-pitched, including thin tseep notes and short trills delivered from cover. The song is simple and subdued, more often a sequence of piping notes than a sustained melody.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Woodhouse's scrub jay

Woodhouse's scrub jay is a species of scrub jay native to western North America, ranging from southeastern Oregon and southern Idaho to central Mexico. Woodhouse's scrub jay was until recently considered the same species as the California scrub jay, and collectively called the western scrub jay. Prior to that both of them were also considered the same species as the island scrub jay and the Florida scrub jay; the taxon was then called simply the scrub jay. Woodhouse's scrub jay is nonmigratory and can be found in urban areas, where it can become tame and will come to bird feeders. While many refer to scrub jays as "blue jays", the blue jay is a different species of bird entirely. Woodhouse's scrub jay is named for the American naturalist and explorer Samuel Washington Woodhouse.

Woodlark

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Woodpecker finch

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