Stierling's Woodpecker Dendropicos stierlingi Scientific name definitions

c. 17–18 cm; 25–31 g. Male has blackish-brown forehead and forecrown, in fresh plumage with narrow pale feather edges, red hindcrown and nape, white neck side and face with blackish-brown ear-coverts, broad blackish-brown malar stripe expanding on neck side and down to breast side; white chin and upper throat; black hindneck and uppermost mantle; rest of upperparts olive-brown, slightly paler tips when fresh, uppertail-coverts faintly pale-barred, occasionally reddish tips in fresh ­plumage; brown flight-feathers and outer wing-coverts edged olive, remiges barred white on inner webs; uppertail brown, tip yellow; lower throat checkered white and dark brown, rest of underparts scaly-looking, white with dark brown bars and shaft streaks; underwing white, spotted brown; undertail yellowish-brown; long bill fairly broad, slate-gray, paler base of lower mandible; iris red to red-brown; legs olive to gray-green. Female lacks red on head, has faintly pale-streaked brown crown , blacker nape. Juvenile duller, markings below more irregular, has brown eyes, both sexes with red in center of crown.

Southern Tanzania (Songea, Lindi), northern Mozambique and adjacent southwestern Malawi; possibly also eastern Zambia.

Inhabits rich miombo (Brachystegia) woodland, from lowlands up to 1,500 m.

Diet includes insects and their larvae; occasionally centipedes (Chilopoda). Occurs singly or in pairs; associates loosely with mixed-species flocks. Forages in middle to upper levels of forest; may spend considerable time at one site. Investigates large to medium-sized branches, less frequently twigs. Main foraging technique consists of powerful pecking; can excavate deeply into bark; also probes in bark. During rainy season hawks alate termites (Isoptera), in rather clumsy fashion.

Common call somewhat wavering “pi-di-di, da-da-di, da-da-da-da, da-da”, as territorial and long-distance communication; also soft single or repeated “pik” notes, sometimes in short bursts; “bdddt” notes in aggression; irregular “weep” series also recorded. Drumming loud, rapid, c. 5 rolls per minute.

Season probably July–October; nestlings in August in Malawi, juvenile observed in November in Tanzania; juvenile also reported in March in northwestern Mozambique. Nest-hole in tree; nest in Malawi contained two chicks. No other data.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Not uncommon in most parts of small range, but rather localized. A generally little-known species, with few published observations. Exact status requires further investigation. Information required also on its breeding biology.