Woodpeckers of the World: Picid in Focus: Brown-backed Woodpecker Dendropicos obsoletus

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Picid in Focus: Brown-backed Woodpecker Dendropicos obsoletus

This small woodpecker is found in the bushy and scrubby savanna belt of sub-Saharan Africa in Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. It also occurs in semi-urban areas. Four races are recognised: obsoletus, heuglini, ingens and crateri. They differ in size, darkness of the mantle and back and amount of streaking on the underparts. Photo: Male nominate race, Gambia, Vaughan Ashby.

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Background

Woodpeckers, the Picidae, are Piciformes, an order that includes some of the oldest avian lineages. The Piciformes probably originated about 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period and became distinct from their closest relatives some 50 million years ago. Depending upon which taxonomy is followed, and the fact that the status of some species is unclear, around 240-260 woodpecker species probably exist globally. The Picidae includes three subfamilies: Jynginae (wrynecks), Picumninae (piculets) and the Picinae, the “true woodpeckers”. In terms of size, behaviour, distribution and the habitats they use, the Picinae are a fairly diverse group of birds with six distinct tribes. They are widespread and found from sea-level to high-altitudes but absent from the Arctic, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and some other islands. Worldwide woodpeckers are usually, but not exclusively, associated with trees.