Golden-tailed Woodpecker

The Golden-tailed Woodpecker is a widespread species of sub-Saharan African woodland and savanna, part of a group of African woodpeckers known for spotted rather than barred underparts. Its back shows a greenish-gold barred pattern, while the tail carries a subtle golden tinge along the outer edges.

It is often detected by its calls and drumming before being seen clearly in wooded habitat.

• Underparts show bold, rounded dark spots arranged in rows over a pale cream ground color, distinct from the fine barring seen in many pied woodpeckers
• Back and wing-covert feathers are barred olive-green and blackish
• Tail feathers show a golden tinge along the outer edges, the source of the species' name
• Males show a red crown and malar area, while females show more black in these regions
• Flight feathers are barred dark and pale along their length

Males have a red crown and red malar stripe; females show a black or dark-spotted crown and lack red in the malar area. Juveniles are duller with less crisp spotting below. A single annual molt follows breeding.

• Widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, in a range of woodland and savanna habitats
• Favors broadleaf woodland, riverine woodland, and adjacent savanna with scattered trees
• Generally resident, with some local movement tied to food availability

This species forages on trunks and branches for wood-boring insects and ants, often working methodically along bark. Its call is a sharp, repeated note, and it drums in short bursts. Nest cavities are excavated in dead wood within its wooded habitat.