Fire-bellied Woodpecker

Chloropicus pyrrhogaster (Malherbe, 1845)

Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Chloropicus pyrrhogaster, is a woodpecker of tropical West Africa, from Guinea to western Cameroon. It lives in lowland and foothill country, especially at the edges of primary rainforest, in clearings, gallery forest, scattered woodland, partly logged and degraded areas, wooded savannah and scrub. Large dead trees are often present in its range. The bird is non-migratory. It is recognised by its scarlet belly, with the male showing a red crown and nape, while the female has these areas black. Juveniles are duller and browner, with some red on the crown.

Order

Piciformes

Family

Picidae — Woodpeckers

Breeding range

Africa: Guinea to w Cameroon