Cardinal Woodpecker
Dendropicos fuscescens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusDendropicos
- SpeciesDendropicos fuscescens (Cardinal Woodpecker)
The cardinal woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens) is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dense forest to thorn bush. It is fairly vocal and is easily identified by its call notes. The sexes are distinguishable by their head patterns. They feed primarily on tree-boring insects; using their adhering tongues they extract the insects from holes in wood or bark. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Cardinal Woodpecker sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 162 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Olive Woodpecker
Dendropicos griseocephalus
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Campethera abingoni
Bearded Woodpecker
Chloropicus namaquus
Rufous-necked Wryneck
Jynx ruficollis
Bennett's Woodpecker
Campethera bennettii
White-eared Barbet
Stactolaema leucotis
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Pogoniulus bilineatus
Black-collared Barbet
Lybius torquatus
Southern Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Pogoniulus pusillus
Lesser Honeyguide
Indicator minor
Crested Barbet
Trachyphonus vaillantii
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Indicator variegatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cardinal Woodpecker in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Cardinal Woodpecker sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 162 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cardinal Woodpecker in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Cardinal Woodpecker in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.