Piciformes / Picidae / Picus
Grey-headed Woodpecker
Picus canus · 灰头绿啄木鸟
Introduction
A Eurasian member of the woodpecker family, Picidae, with a distribution stretching across central and Eastern Palaearctic regions to the Pacific Ocean, south to the Himalaya and Malay Peninsula. It prefers deciduous forests with a high proportion of dead trees and feeds primarily on ants, though less exclusively than related species. Nests are typically excavated into dead or severely damaged trees. The species is rated as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Description
Length 25–26 cm (9.8–10.2 in), wingspan 38–40 cm (15–16 in), weight around 125 g (4.4 oz). Uniformly olive green upperparts transition to a light grey neck and head. Males have a grey head with a red forecrown, a black line across the lores, and a narrow black moustache stripe. Females lack the red forecrown but have fine black streaks on the crown. The back, scapulars, and wing coverts are green; the breast and underbody are pale grey. Folded primaries are barred brown-black on grey-white. Subspecies vary: P. c. jessoensis is greyer and less green; P. c. guerini has a black nape patch and greenish underbody; P. c. dedemi males have brownish-red upperparts, a bright red rump, and a black tail.
Identification
Smaller and lighter than the European green woodpecker, with a size approximately that of a Eurasian collared dove. Distinguished by a shorter neck, slimmer bill, and slightly rounder head. Typical woodpecker markings are small and not particularly conspicuous. The territorial song is more melodic and cleaner than the explosive laughter of the green woodpecker, consisting of ten to fifteen utterances of declining pitch. Aggressive noises include sharp kuek sounds. Drumming frequency is around 20 Hertz, lasting up to two seconds.
Distribution & Habitat
Found in wide parts of central, northern, and eastern Europe, and a wide belt south of boreal coniferous forests across Asia to the Pacific coast, Sakhalin, and Hokkaidō. In Europe, breeds from western France to the Urals, including Scandinavia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, but is absent from the North German Plain, British Isles, Iberian Peninsula, and Mediterranean islands. Southern limits extend to the Himalaya and mountain forests of the Malay Peninsula. Prefers deciduous forest with dead trees, undisturbed ancient forests, and riparian forests.
Behavior & Ecology
Breeds in May, laying five to ten eggs incubated by both parents. Young hatch after 15–17 days and fledge in 24–25 days. Diet consists mainly of ants (Formica, Lasius, Myrmicinae) and termites, making up to 90% of intake in spring and summer. Also consumes caterpillars, crickets, beetle larvae, flies, spiders, and lice. In late autumn and early winter, includes significant amounts of berries and fruit. Drums on resonating sites, including metal covers on masts and roofs, often using the same sites for years.
Conservation
IUCN status is Least Concern. Populations in majority of areas are in decline, particularly at the north-western margin of the range in Europe, though some recovery has occurred since the 1990s due to mild winters. Global population shows a slight reduction. European population estimated at 180,000 to 320,000 breeding pairs. Greatest threat is the destruction of undisturbed ancient forests and riparian habitats required for breeding.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Picus
Subspecies (11)
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Picus canus canus
Europe (southern Scandinavia and France) to western Siberia
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
