Grey-headed Woodpecker
Picus canus
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on John Cox's illustration · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusPicus (Green Woodpeckers and Allies)
- SpeciesPicus canus (Grey-headed Woodpecker)
About the Grey-headed Woodpecker
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 species found in Europe. Its distribution also stretches across large parts of the central and Eastern Palaearctic, all the way to the Pacific Ocean and south to the Himalaya and the Malay Peninsula.
The grey-headed woodpecker is more demanding than the European green woodpecker in terms of its habitat. It prefers deciduous 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.
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 was formally described by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788 in the 13th edition of the Systema... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Grey-headed Woodpecker in Białowieża National Park
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Green Woodpecker
Picus viridis
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
Black Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes medius
Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla
White-backed Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minor
Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides tridactylus
Syrian Woodpecker
Dendrocopos syriacus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Grey-headed Woodpecker in Białowieża National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-headed Woodpecker sighting in Białowieża National Park, based on 193 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Grey-headed Woodpecker in Białowieża National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Grey-headed Woodpecker in Białowieża National Park in our monthly data.