Blog

Ground Woodpecker

todayJanuary 1, 2025 63

Background
share close

 Ground Woodpecker . 
A Near Threatened Species  found in Western Cape Fynbos , Karoo , Drakensberg and grasslands not associated with trees . They are usually in small family parties of up to 6 birds and  have become scarce in many areas .
 
They perch on rocks where they are well camouflaged, often sidling over to one side and peering over the top at intruders . Their flight is undulating but they  forage mainly on the ground by pecking , digging and flicking with their bills . They probe with their long sticky tongue into cracks between stones or into dead wood .  Ninety five percent of their food is ants including the larvae , pupae and eggs .
Their voice is a far carrying ” dwerr or tik – werr ” and a ringing “ree – chick “. They also have an alarm call ” pee- aargh “
Breeding takes place from August to November . The nest is a burrow in the vertical wall of a donga , river bank or cutting . The tunnel entry can be 50 – 100 cm long . Usually 3 glossy white eggs are laid . Incubation and nestling periods are unrecorded .
The isiZulu name is umNqangqandolo and in Afrikaans die Grondspeg.

Written by: mike

Rate it

Similar posts

Blog

Interview: Nianell on her New Book - A Song That’s Yet Unsung

Nianell has just brought out her teaching memoir, A Song That’s Yet Unsung—When Nothing is Known, Anything is Possible, published by Reach Publishers. In it, she takes us from platinum-selling hits like Who Painted the Moon? all the way through heartbreak, motherhood, and a profound spiritual awakening, inviting us to […]

todayMarch 5, 2026 4


0%