Iberian Green Woodpecker
Picus sharpei
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 sharpei (Iberian Green Woodpecker)
About the Iberian Green Woodpecker
The Iberian green woodpecker (Picus sharpei) is a medium-sized woodpecker endemic to the Iberian peninsula. It was formerly considered as a subspecies of the European green woodpecker but differs in having little black on the head and a dusky rather than a black ring around each eye. Its sound has been described as sibilant, or hiss-like.
The Iberian green woodpecker was described by Howard Saunders in 1872 and given the binomial name Gecinus sharpei. He chose the specific epithet to honour his friend, the English zoologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe, who he credited with first distinguishing it from the European green woodpecker (Picus viridis) and Levaillant's woodpecker (Picus vaillantii). The Iberian green woodpecker was usually treated as a subspecies of the European green woodpecker but two separate studies published in 2011 found that there were significant differences in both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences between the two populations. Based on these results the Iberian green woodpecker is now considered as a separate species. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
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Recent sightings of Iberian Green Woodpecker in Picos de Europa National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Picos de Europa National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Iberian Green Woodpecker in Picos de Europa National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Iberian Green Woodpecker sighting in Picos de Europa National Park, based on 172 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Iberian Green Woodpecker in Picos de Europa National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Iberian Green Woodpecker in Picos de Europa National Park in our monthly data.