Bird Guide

Golden-tailed Woodpecker vs Knysna Woodpecker

Golden-tailed Woodpecker (Campethera abingoni)

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Campethera abingoni

Medium68 gShrubland

The combination of barred, greenish upper part plumage, and streaked underparts is distinctive. Their golden-olive tails do not differ markedly from those of several related or sympatric woodpecker species, but their single, strident call-note is characteristic. It measures 20 to 21 cm from bill tip to tail tip. The southern races weigh about 70 g, but the northern race C. a. chrysura, only about 55 g. Males are on average larger and heavier than females.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats/ · CC BY 2.0
Knysna Woodpecker (Campethera notata)

Knysna Woodpecker

Campethera notata

Medium62 gForest

This species is distinguished from the other South African woodpeckers by its thickly spotted under-surface which is covered with black spots from the chin to the vent. Males and females differ slightly. Males have an olive-green color above with indistinct, small transverse bars and a few diamond-shaped sub-terminal spots that are a paler olive-yellow. The female Knysna woodpecker is similar to the male, but the black head is spotted with white and only the occiput is scarlet. The quills are brown, except for near the base where they are externally olive.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dave Brown · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Golden-tailed Woodpecker and Knysna Woodpecker.