Bird

Bennetts Woodpecker Sightings

Campethera bennettii

Prey speciesSeen in 2 parks

Want to know where and when to find Bennetts Woodpecker right now? opspoor tracks live, verified sightings across South Africa's parks.

About the Bennetts Woodpecker

Bennett's woodpecker is a small African woodpecker associated with dry woodland, savanna and thornveld. It has cryptic brown, black and pale plumage adapted for life among tree bark and branches, with males showing additional colour around the face. It uses its strong bill to excavate bark and wood while searching for insects and their larvae, but also consumes other invertebrates and occasionally fruit. It is usually encountered singly or in pairs and is often detected by its drumming and calls.

How to identify the Bennetts Woodpecker

Small to medium-sized woodpecker with a greenish-brown back, pale barred underparts and a distinctive pale eyebrow stripe. The bill is short and sturdy, and males typically have a reddish crown or forehead.

Did you know?

Bennett’s Woodpeckers use their strong bills to excavate insects from wood and also create nesting cavities that can later provide shelter for other cavity-dependent species.

Also known as: Bennettse Speg, Woodpecker

Parks where you can see the Bennetts Woodpecker

Recent Bennetts Woodpecker sightings

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Planning a South Africa safari? opspoor tracks real, verified wildlife sightings like these across the country's parks — logged by people on the ground, not guesswork. It all works with zero signal, too, so a dead zone deep in the bush never costs you a sighting.