Campethera bennettii
Bennett’s Woodpecker inhabits woodland and savanna habitats with tall trees. It feeds mainly on ants and termites and their eggs and larvae, which it will dig out of their underground nests, and thus spends a lot of time on the ground. Adults measure about 23cm long and weigh around 70g.
These woodpeckers are usually encountered singly, in pairs or family groups, and use holes in trees as nests, either chiseled by themselves or taken over from other species. Both parents incubate the clutch of 2-6 eggs over period of almost three weeks. The chicks leave the nest about a month after hatching, but will remain with their parents up to the next breeding season, which spans spring and summer. It would appear that pairs are territorial throughout the year and not only in the breeding season.
The IUCN considers Bennett’s Woodpecker a species of least concern. It occurs from Burundi and Rwanda through much of east, central and southern Africa to South Africa’s Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, with a few scattered records from other provinces. It is a close relative of, and easily confused with, the Golden-tailed Woodpecker. Shingwedzi Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park is a very reliable spot to see Bennett’s Woodpecker.
de Wets Wild 
Dries, I’ve just had a thought… are you counting all your bird posts? Your vast collection of photos and content will soon become a repository better that Roberts/ Sasol Birds of Southern Africa!!
You, as a family, are indeed leaving a massive footprint and knowledge base that will become a define source for future generations!
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That’s very kind of you, thanks AJ!
We keep our South African Wildlife tab up to date with the wildlife we feature here. By the time our December holidays start we’ll have featured 17 plants, 13 invertebrates, 1 fish, 6 amphibians, 25 reptiles, 228 birds and 64 mammals.
https://dewetswild.com/south-african-wildlife/
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What a cute little guy. 😍
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And they don’t sit still for a second!
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I always enjoy woodpecker photographs.
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Then I am glad we could get your Monday off to a good start, thanks Anne!
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Good looking birds! Great shots! 🙂
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Thank you, H.J!
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