[1] It appears to be a close relative of the cardinal woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens.

The brown stripe through the eye and the golden mantle separate this species from the related Cardinal Woodpecker.

[4] This species occurs in juniper woods and Hagenia forest, also in areas of Euphorbia, particularly between 1,600 and 3,000 m (5,200 and 9,800 ft) and occasionally higher.

It is an unobtrusive bird which probes for food among moss growing on trees.

[5] The Abyssinian woodpecker has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable and is currently classed as Least Concern but it is thought to be decreasing in population and contracting its range due to continuing clearance of woodlands.