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Order – Piciformes contains largely arboreal, insectivorous bird species. Almost all species in the order Piciformes are zygodactyl. 2 toes point forward, 2 toes backwards. This seems to be ideal for an arboreal lifestyle.

Suborder – Picoidea, Infraorder – Picides – contains Honeyguides, African Piculet, Wrynecks and Woodpeckers. There are 2 families only. Indicatoridae – Honeyguides and Honeybirds and Picidae – Woodpeckers, Piculet and Wrynecks.

Woodpeckers – Family Picidae, subfamily Picinae

There are 240 species in 35 genera woldwide. Woodpeckers are found on many continents in areas with trees where they find their main diet insect in or on the wood. Few Woodpecker species don’t depend on trees for survival. African Woodpecker species are mainly green with white dots or streaks and some red on the head. The beak is chisel shaped and sharp pointed.

To support themselves on in a vertical position they have stiff tail feathers.
Who doesn’t know the knocking sounds of Woodpeckers? They can perform 20 hits in a second. There are some adaptions to avoid damage to the brain. The brain has very little liquid and is tight on the bone. The head is equipped with many strong muscles which serve as shock absorbers. The knocking on wood can be to find food, mark the territory or make the nest hole. The hits are straight to avoid twists of the muscles. They close their eyes before they knock on wood to avoid splinters in the eyes.

Also interesting in Woodpeckers are their long tongue. The tip is hard and has some little hooks to pull out the larvae or insect stuck in the dead wood – here you find more information. Woodpeckers live alone or in pairs. The sexual dimorphism is mainly in the colouration. Old trees are important for Woodpeckers since they host many insects.

Wryneck – Family Picidae, Subfamily Jynginae contains just 2 species
They are similar to Woodpeckers, but the bill is shorter and less dagger like. Their chief prey are ants but also other insects which they find on tree stems and branches and decaying plant material or wood.

They like using old Woodpecker nests. Very special and what gave them their name, Wryneck can turn their heads almost 180°.

Sasia africana or Verreauxia africana – African Piculet is the only representative of the Sasia genus in East Africa. It is a tiny bird with a very short tail. In East Africa it is restricted to Semliki National Park in SW Uganda in the Albertine Rift.

To give you as actual information as possible we use Avibase, the books “Birds of Africa South of the Sahara”, “Birds of East Africa”, “Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania”. Then we put the most characteristic information to the photo.

You can also follow us on Facebook “Bird photography Safaris Kenya” and see the numerous species as well as the beautiful photos from Lorenzo Barelli.

Click on the photo for larger view. The names of the photographers are on the photo and in the text. Without the generosity of several amazing bird photographers it had not been possible to create the pages with so many illustrated bird species. Those photos without name are from Elvira Wolfer.

Since most of the species listed here have a wide distribution range you can find many of them during most of our wildlife and birding safari tours, just listen to the sound when they hack on wood. To find a particular species or subspecies we will advise you on the most suitable itinerary.

Uganda especially the Albertine Rift and there Semliki National Park host a few very special species. Some are more West African species and best to find in Uganda. We would adjust our Uganda Safari accordingly and a local qualified birding guide would take you to spots where the difficult to find species might be spotted.