White-backed Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos
Marginally larger than Great Spotted Woodpecker, but appears distinctly longer-billed. White back in some subspecies is not always obvious when perched but easy to see in flight. Streaky flanks are distinctive. Also note varying amounts of red on the lower belly and undertail. Gives a somewhat hoarse “kik”, sometimes in rattled series. Drum is fast and fades towards the end. Found in mature undisturbed deciduous and mixed forest with lots of dead trees; sometimes near water, as well as in recently burned areas. Threatened by habitat loss in much of its range.
Identification
It is the largest of the spotted woodpeckers in the western Palearctic, 24–26 cm long with wing-span 38–40 cm. The plumage is similar to the great spotted woodpecker, but with white bars across the wings rather than spots, and a white lower back. The male has a red crown, the female a black one. Drumming by males is very loud, calls include a soft kiuk and a longer kweek.
Taxonomy
The white-backed woodpecker was described by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1802 under the binomial name Picus leucotos. The specific epithet leucotos combines the Classical Greek leukos meaning "white" and -nōtos meaning "-backed". The type locality is Silesia, a historical region mainly located in Poland. The species is now placed in the genus Dendrocopos that was introduced by the German naturalist Carl Ludwig Koch in 1816.<p>Twelve subspecies are recognised.<p>The subspecies D. l. owstoni is sometimes considered a distinct species, the Amami woodpecker.
- Scientific name
- Dendrocopos leucotos
- Authority
- (Bechstein, 1802)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Dendrocopos
Range and habitat
The nominate race D. l. leucotos occurs in central and northern Europe, with the race D. l. lilfordi found in the Balkans and Turkey. Ten further races occur in the region eastwards as far as Korea and Japan. It is a scarce bird, requiring large tracts of mature deciduous forests with high amounts of standing and laying dead wood. Numbers have decreased in Nordic countries. In Sweden, its population decline has caused the Swedish government to enact protection for the species in the national Biodiversity Action Plan.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Tawny-backed Fantail
Rhipidura superflua
A small brown songbird with a long tail that is often cocked and regularly fanned. Rich rufous on the back and rump, with a contrastingly darker pale-tipped tail. Has a brown head with a buff brow, a white throat bordered with a black necklace, and pale buff underparts. Singles and pairs can be found in forest in the foothills and mountains, often within mixed-species flocks. Distinctive in its limited range on Buru, where it is the only brown-backed fantail. Song a high-pitched series of six or more descending whistles. Call is a metallic “tew.”
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senator
Very distinctive black-masked shrike with a red crown and nape. Stocky and big-headed, with prominent white wing patches. Juveniles are pale gray and scaly. Found in open areas with scattered bushes and trees, especially old orchards, where they sit on prominent perches; uses acacia savanna on non-breeding grounds. Song is a long jumble of various vocal elements, including warbles, whistles, rasping calls, and mimicry. Gives long series of harsh, dry calls.
Red-fronted Antpecker
Parmoptila rubrifrons
A small, slender-billed warbler-like waxbill with pinkish-brown legs and different-looking sexes: the male has a red forehead, dull brown upperparts, light scaling on the face, and rusty-chestnut underparts, while the female has pale underparts with scattered dark chevrons, mostly brown upperparts, and a white-speckled head. Pairs and small groups forage alone or in mixed-species flocks, in the understory and middle levels of primary and swamp forest, often near water. Eats insects, with a fondness for ants. Call is a high-pitched downslurred “peeeee.”
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