Bird Guide

Little Grey Woodpecker

Dendropicos elachus

Least ConcernInvertebratesShrublandCavity nestSmall · 18 g

About the Little Grey Woodpecker

The little grey woodpecker, also known as the Sahelian woodpecker, is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan. This species is described as somewhat rare, but it has a very large range and the population appears to be steady, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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The little grey woodpecker is a very small woodpecker, growing to a length of between 12 and 14 cm (4.7 and 5.5 in). The beak is relatively long and broad. The male has a red hind crown and nape while the female lacks these. Otherwise the sexes are similar. The head is brown with a slight white supercilium and a narrow darker brown moustachial stripe. The upper parts of the body are greyish-brown barred with white and so are the wings and tail. The rump and upper tail coverts are red, which is particularly noticeable in flight. The beak is grey, the feet greenish-grey and the eye brown.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the Little Grey Woodpecker lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Mauritania, Chad.

When to see the Little Grey Woodpecker

Peak activity in January · a winter visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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