| Grey-headed Woodpecker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Picus |
| Species: | Picus canus |
The Grey-headed Woodpecker or Grey-faced Woodpecker (Picus canus) is a Eurasian species of woodpecker related to the less widespread Green Woodpecker.
Description[]
It is very similar to the European Green Woodpecker, but has a thinner and shorter bill, more uniform grey head pattern, narrower dark moustache stripe and moss green upperparts instead of bright yellow-green. The male has a red front.[1]
Voice[]
Its call is similar to that of the related European Green Woodpecker, but is less explosive and somewhat more melancholic in tune.
Behaviour[]
Grey-headed Woodpeckers breed in May and lay five to ten eggs which are brought up by both parents. The young hatch after 15–17 days, and learn to fly in four weeks. In summer, the Grey-headed Woodpecker eats maggots, beetle larvae and other insects. In winter it takes seeds, and can even come to garden feeding places, especially if fat is offered.[2]
Distribution and Habitat[]
It is a native species in Eurasia, but absent from the British Isles, the Iberian and Appennine Peninsulas, and the southern Balkans. Its range extends all the way to southeast Asia. It lives in leaf and mixed forests.
References[]
- ↑ Information from Collins Bird Guide
- ↑ Information from [1]