Arabian Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes dorae
The Arabian Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes dorae) is a legendary woodpecker found in 2 countries. The Arabian woodpecker or Sarat woodpecker, is a bird species of the family Picidae, native to the Sarawat Mountains of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
About the Arabian Woodpecker
The Arabian woodpecker or Sarat woodpecker, is a bird species of the family Picidae, native to the Sarawat Mountains of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is the only woodpecker that breeds on the Arabian Peninsula.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Arabian woodpecker grows to a length of about 18 cm (7 in). The male has a brownish or pale grey head with a bright red patch on the crown and nape. The back, wings, and tail are olive-grey to brown streaked with white, and the wings are barred with white. The underparts are grey streaked with white and the belly has the central area suffused with red. The female is similar but lacks the red crown patch. The call has been rendered as "pweek pit-pit-pit-pit-pit-pit-pit-ptptpt" and the bird occasionally drums on branches.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Arabian Woodpecker?
- The Arabian woodpecker grows to a length of about 18 cm (7 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see an Arabian Woodpecker?
- The Arabian Woodpecker occurs in 2 countries, including Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
- What birds look similar to an Arabian Woodpecker?
- The Arabian Woodpecker is most easily confused with the Brown-fronted Woodpecker and the Middle Spotted Woodpecker.
- Is the Arabian Woodpecker endangered?
- The Arabian Woodpecker is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Arabian Woodpecker for real
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