Andean Flicker on the cover

The latest issue of Neotropical Birding, magazine of the Neotropical Bird Club, has a great photo of female Andean Flicker (Colaptes rupicola) on the cover.

Knysna Woodpecker male

Knysna Woodpecker Campethera notata, adult male (note the red malar stripe). This species is endemic to South Africa. Photo by Gerard Gorman, Oribi Gorge, SA, February 2017.

WOODPECKER - a new book

A new book entitled simply WOODPECKER is due to be published this summer by Reaktion Books, London, in their acclaimed Animal Series. Written by Gerard Gorman the book examines not only the natural but the cultural history of the animal... how it has been viewed by people from ancient times to the present day, and examines the woodpecker in art, literature, media, religion, mythology, legend and folklore. 

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni, female. Kruger NP, South Africa, February 2017 (Gerard Gorman).

Ground Woodpecker adult male

Following on from the previous post, here is a male Ground Woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus. Photo taken in February 2017 in the Sani Pass, Lesotho. A few hundred metres above the site where the previous image was taken (Gerard Gorman).

Ground Woodpecker - habitat and nest holes

The Ground Woodpecker (Geocolaptes olivaceus) is a woodpecker which does not peck wood. It is arguably the most terrestrial woodpecker species on the planet, rarely seen near trees. Here is an image of its habitat and an earth bank with nesting holes (see very top right of the bank). This species is endemic to southern Africa (South Africa and Lesotho), where it is not uncommon locally. This location was in the Sani Pass in SA at around 2500m above sea-level (Gerard Gorman).