Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Grey-headed Green Woodpecker
- Scientific name: Picus canus, Grey-faced Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Classification: Order Versiformes, Family Woodpeckers, Genus *Leptochloa*
Vital signs data
- Body length: 26.5-32.1 cm
- Weight: 105-159g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
The Grey-headed Woodpecker is found in Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
The Grey-headed Woodpecker primarily inhabits low-mountain broad-leaved forests and mixed forests, and also appears in secondary forests and forest edges, rarely venturing into primary coniferous forests. In autumn and winter, it is often seen in sparse woodlands along roadsides and farmland edges, and also frequently ventures into small groves near villages.
Appearance
The male Grey-headed Woodpecker has a greyish-black forehead with a reddish-brown crown. The back of the crown, nape, and nape are grey or dark grey with black shaft streaks. The lores are black, the supercilium is greyish-white, the ear coverts and sides of the neck are grey, and the malar stripe is broad and distinct black. The back and wing coverts are olive-green, while the rump and upper tail coverts are yellowish-green. The central tail feathers are olive-brown with greyish-white semicircular spots on each web, the tips of which are black, and the shafts are glossy black. The outer tail feathers are dark brown with dark horizontal bars. The primary flight feathers are black with white square horizontal bars on the outer webs and white horizontal bars at the base of the inner webs. The outer webs of the secondary flight feathers are tinged with olive-yellow, and the white spots are indistinct. The underparts have a greyish-white chin, throat, and foreneck, a greyish-green breast, abdomen, and flanks, and greyish-green undertail coverts with grass-green tips.
The female is dark grey from the forehead to the crown, with black shaft streaks and terminal spots on her feathers; otherwise, she is the same as the male. Juvenile males have a greyish-brown base to their bill, a red forehead with a nearly circular patch and orange-yellow feather edges, a dark greyish-green crown with pale black shaft spots, dark grey sides to the nape, and greyish-white flanks, lower belly, and undertail coverts with pale black spots and bars. Otherwise, they are the same as adults.
The iris is red, the mouth is grayish-black, and the feet and toes are grayish-green or brownish-green.
Size measurements: Weight: ♂ 120-159 g, ♀ 105-150 g; Body length: ♂ 265-311 mm, ♀ 273-321 mm; Bill length: ♂ 29-40 mm, ♀ 31-40 mm; Wing length: ♂ 133-150 mm, ♀ 138-153 mm; Tail length: ♂ 91-123 mm, ♀ 90-121 mm; Tarsus length: ♂ 24-30 mm, ♀ 25-32 mm. (Note: Males – ♂; Females – ♀)
Detailed introduction
The Grey-faced Woodpecker, scientifically known as *Picus canus*, has 11 subspecies.
The Grey-headed Woodpecker is usually solitary or in pairs, rarely in flocks. It flies swiftly, moving in a wave-like pattern. It typically feeds on the lower and middle parts of tree trunks, but also frequently on the ground, especially on fallen logs and anthills. It rarely sings, and its call is simple, consisting of only a single syllable, "ga-ga-". However, during the breeding season, its calls become very frequent and loud, with longer and more varied tones, sounding like "gao-gao-gao-".
The Grey-headed Woodpecker primarily feeds on insects such as ants, bark beetles, longhorn beetle larvae, and insects belonging to the orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera. When foraging, it often spirals upwards from the base of tree trunks, then flies to the base of another tree to continue its search. It uses its long tongue to hook out pests that are under the bark or have burrowed into the wood. Occasionally, it also eats plant fruits and seeds, such as wild grapes, red pine nuts, yellow pine cones, and grass seeds.
The breeding season for the Grey-headed Woodpecker is from April to June. Pairs are observed as early as the beginning of April, their calls increase, they chase each other, and emit a "cawing" sound. They nest in tree cavities, which are jointly dug by both parents. A new cavity is dug each year, and old nests are generally not reused. Nesting sites are typically chosen in mixed forests, broad-leaved forests, secondary forests, or forest edges on decaying broad-leaved trees such as ash, aspen, chokecherry, oak, and elm. The nest is 2.7-11 meters above the ground, with a round or oval entrance, 5-6 cm in diameter, an internal diameter of 13-15 cm, and a depth of 27-42 cm. There is no lining inside the nest. They breed once a year, with egg-laying beginning in early May. Each clutch contains 8-11 eggs, most commonly 9-10. The eggs are milky white, smooth, and spotless, oval in shape, measuring 28.5-30.7 mm × 21-22.9 mm, with an average of 29.5 mm × 21.6 mm, and weighing 6.5 grams. Incubation begins only after all eggs have been laid, and is undertaken by both parents alternately for 12-13 days. The chicks are altricial, and both parents participate in raising them. Initially, they spend more time warming the chicks and feed them less frequently, often entering the nest to feed them. Later, they stop warming the chicks and feed them more often, standing at the entrance of the nest and sticking their heads inside to feed them. After 23-24 days of feeding, the chicks are ready to fly and leave the nest.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver3.1.
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