Bennett's Woodpecker ( Campethera bennettii, family: Picidae)
The Bennett's Woodpecker (Latin name Campethera bennettii) is described
in Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 481 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 130 also a picture of the Bennett's Woodpecker on page 145. The
Bennett's Woodpecker belongs to the family of birds classified as
Picidae. According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology the Bennett's Woodpecker is also known by these other names:
Speckle-throated Woodpecker.
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The Bennett's Woodpecker is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the Bennett's Woodpecker in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Bennett's Woodpecker : see above distribution map.
The Bennett's Woodpecker.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
The Bennett's Woodpecker is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the Bennett's Woodpecker is about 24 cms and its weight is about 70 gms
You will find that the male Bennett's Woodpecker plumage and colours are different to that of the female Bennett's Woodpecker
- Head is red.
- Eye is red, brown.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is white.
- Back is red.
- Legs are grey.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The Bennett's Woodpecker feeds on the ground and in foliage
Invertebrates
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The Bennett's Woodpecker is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Campethera bennettii will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of Bennett's Woodpecker is to create the nest in a hole in a tree trunk. The bird lays eggs which are white in colour and number between 2 to 6
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for Bennett's Woodpecker are: woodlands and grasslands and riverine areas
You will not see Bennett's Woodpecker in flocks. The bird prefers to act singly or in pairs.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... Unknown
Afrikaans ...Bennettse Speg
German ... Bennettspecht
Portuguese ... Pica-pau de Bennett
French ... Pic de Bennett
Dutch ... Bennett-Specht Woodpecker
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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 481
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
