About Dendropicos obsoletus (Wagler, 1829)
Species and Size
The brown-backed woodpecker (Dendropicos obsoletus) is a small woodpecker species, with adult body length ranging from 13 to 16 cm (5.1 to 6.3 in).
Beak Morphology
It has a long, chisel-tipped beak with a wide base.
Sexual Dimorphism
Males have red coloring on the hind crown and nape, while females lack this red marking; otherwise, the two sexes have similar plumage.
Head Plumage
The head is brown, with a white supercilium, white moustachial stripe, and dark ear coverts.
Body and Appendage Plumage
The body's main plumage is brown, with white barring across the wings and tail.
Underpart Plumage
The underparts are whitish, with dark streaking that varies in extent between individuals.
Similar Species Confusion
When the bird's feathers become worn, it appears quite pale and can be mistaken for the little grey woodpecker (Dendropicos elachus).
Geographic Range
This species' range spans the entire Sudan region and the southern Sahel, extending from Guinea Bissau east to Eritrea and south to northern Tanzania.
Habitat Preferences
It lives in open dry areas, scrubland, and woodland edges, particularly Combretum woodland and Hagenia forest, as well as savannah with scattered trees and suburban gardens.
Elevation Range
Its elevation range generally extends from sea level up to around 2,300 m (7,500 ft), and it occurs even higher on Mount Kenya.
