Dendropicos abyssinicus
Silhouette: Pepe Reigada · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The Abyssinian woodpecker (Dendropicos abyssinicus), also known as the golden-backed woodpecker or the golden-mantled woodpecker, is a species of bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and Ethiopia. It appears to be a close relative of the cardinal woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens.
The Abyssinian woodpecker is a very small woodpecker with a relatively long and broad bill. It has a golden yellow back and mantle with a bright red rump and barred wings and barred tail, the underparts are pale and heavily streaked with black. The head is striped and the male is distinguished by having a red nape and crown. The brown stripe through the eye and the golden mantle separate this species from the related Cardinal Woodpecker. It measured 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and weighs 23–26 g (0.81–0.92 oz).
The Abyssinian woodpecker is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. It occurs north, up to central Eritrea and the Degua Tembien mountains in Ethiopia, and east to Harar in Ethiopia and the River Alata, a tributary of the Hanger River.
This species occurs in juniper woods and Hagenia forest, also in areas... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bale Mountains National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Addis Ababa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Abyssinian Woodpecker sighting in Bale Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 70th most-seen of the 117 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Abyssinian Woodpecker in Bale Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and May, the lowest months. That is one of Bale Mountains National Park's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against 35 mm in December. March and September have too few records to rate.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Abyssinian Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Bale Mountains National Park, in our data
Bale Mountains National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Abyssinian Woodpecker sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Abyssinian Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Bale Mountains National Park (19 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
