The grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus)
The grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus), also known as the grey-faced woodpecker, is a Eurasian member of the woodpecker family, Picidae. Along with the more commonly found European green woodpecker and the Iberian green woodpecker, it is one of three closely related sister species found in Europe. Its distribution stretches across large parts of the central and Eastern Palaearctic, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The grey-headed woodpecker is more demanding than the European green woodpecker in terms of its habitat. It prefers old mixed coniferous forest with a high proportion of dead trees, feeding primarily on ants, although not being as exclusively dependent on this group as the green woodpecker. The grey-headed woodpecker's nest is typically excavated into dead or severely damaged trees.
The subspecies of grey-headed woodpeckers in the Himalayas and those in Sumatra were defined, in 2014, to be separate species Picus guerini and Picus dedemi, respectively, so that as of 2016, three subspecies remain part of Picus canus.,but IOC World Bird List are still treating P. canus guerini and P. canus dedemi as subspecies.
In the majority of areas for which population numbers are available, the grey-headed woodpecker is in decline. IUCN's Least Concern rating is primarily based on the large distribution of the species
The grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus)
The grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus), also known as the grey-faced woodpecker, is a Eurasian member of the woodpecker family, Picidae. Along with the more commonly found European green woodpecker and the Iberian green woodpecker, it is one of three closely related sister species found in Europe. Its distribution stretches across large parts of the central and Eastern Palaearctic, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The grey-headed woodpecker is more demanding than the European green woodpecker in terms of its habitat. It prefers old mixed coniferous forest with a high proportion of dead trees, feeding primarily on ants, although not being as exclusively dependent on this group as the green woodpecker. The grey-headed woodpecker's nest is typically excavated into dead or severely damaged trees.
The subspecies of grey-headed woodpeckers in the Himalayas and those in Sumatra were defined, in 2014, to be separate species Picus guerini and Picus dedemi, respectively, so that as of 2016, three subspecies remain part of Picus canus.,but IOC World Bird List are still treating P. canus guerini and P. canus dedemi as subspecies.
In the majority of areas for which population numbers are available, the grey-headed woodpecker is in decline. IUCN's Least Concern rating is primarily based on the large distribution of the species