Woodpecker?

by Paul on Tuesday, 5 October, 2010 12 Comments

Woodpecker

Woodpecker

I found this little guy poking around between the weeds in our grass. I’m certainly not an ornithologist, or even a bird-watcher, but based on the look of this bird I’d guess that it’s a Woodpecker of sorts.

Please leave a comment here if you know exactly what kind of bird this is.


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  1. 1Urban J
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 14:07

    Hi there,

    That is a hoopoe – such beautiful birds :)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoopoe

  2. 2Chris M
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 14:09

    Must admit, it looks more like a kingfisher at first take, but it would appear that it’s a hoopoe, which makes sense, good find @Urban :)

  3. 3Steve Crane
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 15:45

    This is the African Hoepoe. This Google image search reveals several photos of these and also of the Wood Hoepoe, a bird of considerably different appearance to the African Hoepoe.

    I thought all South Africans would recognise these. They are quite common up-country, but I admit to only seeing one or two in the 10 years since we moved down to the Cape so perhaps natives of the Cape are less likely to recognise these.

  4. 4Paul
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 16:10

    A Hoepoe! Ah, thanks guys! Steve, your point is well proved by the fact that (a) Urban Joburg was the first to correctly identify this one, and (b) ChrisM (also from the Cape) at first thought it was a Kingfisher. :)

    But yes, I can confirm that this is the first time I’ve seen a Hoepoe in the Western Cape! Perhaps it’s all the Joburg-like weather we seem to be having.

  5. 5Caroline
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 17:09

    Apparently hoopoes smell rather strong and nothing wants to eat them. A good site for birds is the Iziko Museum’s biodiversity explorer – and their entry for the African Hoopoe is http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/upupa_africana.htm

  6. 6Paul
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 21:28

    Thanks for the link Caroline. It looks like a great site!

  7. 7Paul
    Wednesday, 6 October, 2010 at 21:29

    Caroline, also, I have to say that fortunately I couldn’t smell the bird. The photo was taken at 300mm zoom through my kitchen window! :)

  8. 8Caroline
    Thursday, 7 October, 2010 at 09:43

    Just as well – they can be most foul according to a birding-mad friend of mine.

  9. 9Ali
    Thursday, 7 October, 2010 at 17:19

    Aaaaawwww, Woodpecker or not: Such a sweet bird. :)

    Since we seem to have some ornithologists here ( :D ), I have question about a special SA bird: Do you know what kind of bird it is, which chirps three short tones in a downscaling way? I heard such a bird every day in the office in Joburg but I never saw it. :(

    By the way: One of the funniest SA birds, in my opinion, is the Go-away bird. :)

  10. 10Steve Crane
    Thursday, 7 October, 2010 at 23:08

    Ali, the call you describe may belong to the Piet-my-vrou or Red-chested Cuckoo. Visit this site where you can listen to the call and that of many other local birds, including the Grey Go-away-bird you mention, which in Afrikaans is called the Kwe-voel after its call.

  11. 11Paul
    Thursday, 7 October, 2010 at 23:15

    That’s brilliant Steve! It’s 23h15 and I’m driving my cat’s crazy with those bird sounds! The must think it’s morning already. :D

  12. 12Ali
    Monday, 11 October, 2010 at 23:01

    Steve, YOU GOT IT!!! It IS the red-chested cuckoo. Thank you so much!!

    Another funny bird is the Hadeda Ibis. I’ve never heard a bird before that makes so much noise. xD

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