Alternative names: Pygmy Wood Piculet; Pygmy Woodpecker
- 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.
It's sometimes placed in its own genus Verreauxia.
Habitat
Found in humid forest, also in gallery forest.
Occurs from lowlands up to 700m, locally up to 1000m.
Behaviour
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 season June to March. The nest is excavated in a narrow branch 1.5m above the ground. Lays 2 eggs.
A resident species, some dispersal possible.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- 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. (2024) African Piculet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Piculet
