Elliot's Woodpecker (Dendropicos elliotii) [XC548160]
by Magnus Wadstein from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu, Western Region, Uganda (call)
Elliot's Woodpecker (Dendropicos elliotii) [XC548161]
by Magnus Wadstein from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu, Western Region, Uganda (call)
Subspecies
Subspecies johnstoni regarded by some authors as a separate species, but interbreeds with nominate in Cameroon. Apparent intermediates between these two subspecies on Mt Kupé have been separated by some authors as subspecies kupeensis but probably best considered a hybrid population.
Other named subspecies are schultzei (Bioko I) and sordidatus (Oku district, in Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon), both of which seem indistinguishable from johnstoni. Angolan birds formerly split as subspecies gabela or angolensis but they differ from nominate barely, if at all.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
johnstoni (Shelley, 1887) - Highlands of south-eastern Nigeria, south-western Cameroon and Bioko I. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Johnston's Woodpecker (Dendropicos johnstoni).
elliotii (Cassin, 1863) - Lowland south-western Cameroon and south-western Central African Republic discontinuously to Gabon and western Angola (Cuanza Norte south to Benguela), and eastern across west, south-central and north-eastern Zaire to south-western and eastern Uganda (Kibale south to Bwindi Forest, also Mt Elgon).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet