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African Grey Woodpecker

Dendropicos goertae (Müller, PLS 1776)

The African grey woodpecker is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. Is a widespread and frequently common resident breeder in much of Sub-Saharan and equatorial Africa. It is a species associated with forest and bush which nests in a tree hole, often in an oil palm, laying two to four eggs. It is a common bird with a very wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". Source: Wikipedia

Classification
Order:
  Piciformes
Family:
  Picidae
Genus:
   Dendropicos
Scientific:
  Dendropicos goertae

Original description

Citation:
  (Müller, PLS 1776)

Reference:
   Linné vollst. Natursyst. Suppl. Reg. Bd.

Protonym:
  Picus Goertae

Type locality:
  Senegal.

Link:
  https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/218386#page/111/mode/1up

Avibase identifiers

Avibase ID:
  E5DF48FC7F1FCF42

Avibase ID:
  avibase-E5DF48FC

Short link:
  https://avibase.ca/E5DF48FC

Taxonomic Serial Number:
  TSN: 554020

Geographic range:

  • Dendropicos goertae: lowland and foothill woodland, wooded grassland, forest edge, and mangroves, from southwestern Mauritania and Senegambia eastward across the Sahel to eastern Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, and southward to northwestern Angola, western Kenya, and northwestern and far northern Tanzania
  • Dendropicos goertae [goertae or centralis]: southwestern Mauritania and Senegambia to South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Kenya, and northwestern Tanzania
  • Dendropicos goertae abessinicus: eastern Sudan, western Eritrea, and northern and western Ethiopia
  • Dendropicos goertae meridionalis: southern Gabon to northwestern Angola and south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Dendropicos goertae koenigi: Sahel of Sahara (eastern Mali to Niger, Chad, and western Sudan)
  • Show more...
Source: Clements checklist
English:
Grey Woodpecker
Afrikaans:
Afrikaanse Grysspeg
Azerbaijani:
Afrika boz ağacdələni
Bulgarian:
Сивогръд кълвач
Catalan:
Picot gris occidental
Czech:
datel šedoprsý
Danish:
Gulbuget Askespætte
German:
Graubrustspecht
Esperanto:
griza pego
Spanish:
Pito Gris Occidental
Spanish (Spain):
Pito gris occidental
Estonian:
palmi-osmusrähn
Finnish:
liekkitikkanen
French:
Pic goertan
Hebrew:
נקר אפור אפריקני
Croatian:
sivi djetlić
Hungarian:
szürkebegyű harkály
Italian:
Picchio grigio maggiore
Japanese (romaji):
haiirogera
Japanese:
ハイイロゲラ
Lithuanian:
Pilkakrūtis savaninis genys
Dutch:
Grijsgroene Specht
Norwegian Nynorsk:
Oskehovudspett
Norwegian:
Askehodespett
Polish:
dzięcioł popielaty
Portuguese:
pica-pau-cinzento
Portuguese (Portugal):
pica-pau-de-peito-cinzento
Romanian:
Ciocănitoare cenuşie
Russian:
Серый дятел
Slovak:
ďateľ sivý
Slovenian:
Sivorumena žolna
Serbian:
Afrički sivi detlić
Swedish:
gulbukig askspett
Turkish:
Afrika gri ağaçkakanı
Ukrainian:
Дятел сірошиїй
Chinese:
灰啄木鸟
Chinese (Traditional):
灰啄木

Authorities recognizing this taxonomic concept:

African Bird Club Checklist 2004:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
African Bird Club Checklist August 2005:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
African Bird Club Checklist March 2007:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
African Bird Club Checklist January 2008:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
African Bird Club Checklist May 2009:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
African Bird Club Checklist March 2010:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts (current):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2023 (May 2023):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2024 (Oct 2024):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2025 (Nov 2025):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 01 (August 2013):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 02 (May 2014):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 03 (March 2015):
Grey Woodpecker ( Mesopicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 04 (Aug 2016):
Grey Woodpecker ( Mesopicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 05 (Jan 2017):
Grey Woodpecker ( Mesopicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 06 (Feb 2018):
Grey Woodpecker ( Mesopicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 07 (Feb 2020):
Grey Woodpecker ( Mesopicos goertae) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 08 (Feb 2021):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Avilist 2025:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 07 (Jul 2014):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 08 (Oct 2015):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 09 (Dec 2016):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 09.1 (Jun 2017):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v2 (Dec 2017):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v3 (Nov 2018):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v4 (Dec 2019):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v5 (Dec 2020):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6 (Dec 2021):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6b (Jul 2022):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v7 (Dec 2022):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v8 (Dec 2023):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v9 (Oct 2024):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v10 (Oct 2025):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Commission internationale pour les noms français des oiseaux (1993):
Pic goertan ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2021:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2022:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2023:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2024:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2025:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 4th edition:
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (as published):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (incl. 2000 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (incl. 2001 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (incl. 2002 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (incl. 2003 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (incl. 2004 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 5th edition (incl. 2005 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition:
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (incl. 2007 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (incl. 2008 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (incl. 2009 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.5 incl. 2010 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.6 incl. 2011 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.7 incl. 2012 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.8 incl. 2013 revisions):
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.9 incl. 2014 revisions):
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2015:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2016:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2017:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2018:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
Clements, version 2019:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 1.50:
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 1.52:
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 1.53:
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 1.54:
Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 1.55:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2015:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2016:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2017:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2018:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2019:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2021:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2022:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Chloropicus goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2023:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2024:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
eBird version 2025:
African Gray Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Howard and Moore 2nd edition (incl. ? suppl):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World (vol 1-16):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (31/01/2015):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (03/07/2017):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2017):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2018):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.4:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.5:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.6:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.7:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.8:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.9:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.10:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.11:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.3:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.4:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.5:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.3:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.4:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.3:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.4:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.3:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.4:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 7.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 7.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 7.3:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 8.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 8.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 9.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 9.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 10.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 10.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 15.1:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 15.2:
African Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Sibley and Monroe (1993):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Sibley and Monroe (1993, including corrections up to 1998):
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Sibley and Monroe, Birds of the World Version 2.0:
Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae) [version 1]
Zoonomen - Zoological Nomenclature Resource:
Dendropicos goertae [version 1]

Taxonomic status:

Species status: full species (sometimes nominal subspecies)

This taxon is considered a subspecies of Dendropicos [goertae or spodocephalus] (sensu lato) by some authors

Your sightings

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Related taxa

Highlight taxa in a checklist (shown in red)

Other synonyms

See also the taxonomic synonyms table.


Afrikaans: Afrikaanse Grysspeg
Azerbaijani: Afrika boz ağacdələni
Belarusian: Шэрагруды дзяцел
Bulgarian: Сивогръд кълвач
Catalan: Picot gris occidental
Czech: Datel šedoprsý
Welsh: Cnocell lwyd
Danish: Gulbuget Askespætte
German: Graubrustspecht
English: African Gray Woodpecker, African Grey Woodpecker, Eastern Gray Woodpecker, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Gray Woodpecker, Grey Woodpecker
English (Avilist): African Gray Woodpecker
English, HBW: Grey Woodpecker
English (IOC): African Grey Woodpecker
English (Kenya): African Grey Woodpecker
English (United States): African Gray Woodpecker
Esperanto: Griza dendropiko, griza pego, Grizbrusta pego
Spanish: Pico Gris, Pito Gris Occidental
Spanish (Spain): Pito gris occidental
Spanish (HBW): African Gray Woodpecker
Estonian: palmi-osmusrähn
Finnish: Liekkitikkanen
French: Pic goertan, Pic gris
French (Guyane): Pic goertan
Irish: Cnagaire liath
Galician: Peto cincento africano
Hebrew: נקר אפור אפריקני
Croatian: sivi djetlić
Hungarian: szürkebegyű harkály
Italian: Picchio di Goerta, Picchio grigio africano, Picchio grigio maggiore
Japanese (romaji): haiirogera
Japanese: ハイイロゲラ
Scientific: Chloropicus goertae, Dendropicos goertae, Dendropicos goertae goertae, Mesopicos goertae, Mesopicos goertae goertae, Picus Goertae
Lithuanian: Pilkakrūtis savaninis genys, Pilkasis genys
Dutch: Grijsgroene Specht
Norwegian Nynorsk: Oskehovudspett
Norwegian: Askehodespett
Polish: dzieciol popielaty, dzięcioł popielaty
Portuguese: Pica pau cinzento africano, Pica-pau-cinzento, Pica-pau-cinzento-africano
Portuguese (Angola): Pica-pau-cinzento
Portuguese (Portugal): Pica-pau-cinzento, pica-pau-de-peito-cinzento
Romanian: Ciocănitoare cenuşie
Russian: Серогрудый африканский дятел, Серый дятел
Slovak: ďateľ sivoprsý, ďateľ sivý
Slovenian: Sivorumena žolna
Serbian: Afrički sivi detlić
Swedish: Afrikansk gråspett, Gråspett, gulbukig askspett
Swahili: Kigong'ota Kijivu
Turkish: Afrika gri ağaçkakanı
Ukrainian: Дятел сірошиїй
Chinese: 灰啄木, 灰啄木鸟
Chinese (Traditional): 灰啄木

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