From Opus

Male
Photo by NIGHTJAR1
Photo taken: Nottinghamshire, UK

Picus viridis

[edit] Identification

30-36 cm

• Dark green upper parts
• Yellowish-green under parts
• Red crown and nape
• Black face mask and moustachial stripe
• Yellow rump
• Black and white outer primaries
• Grey bill and feet
  

Sexes similar except male has a crimson centre to the moustache
Juvenile: duller and has whitish barred underparts

[edit] Variation

The Iberian race P. v. sharpei which lacks the black mask and moustache.

[edit] Similar Species

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Female
Photo by Sandpiper
Photo taken: Colwick, Nottinghamshire, UK

[edit] Distribution

Generally common and widespread over much of range. Breeds in Britain north to central Scotland, and from Iberia and France east to about 50 degrees east in Russia, also in Iran, Turkmenistan and Pakistan. In the north found in coastal and southern parts of Norway and Sweden, Poland and the Baltic States. Occurs south to the north Mediterranean coast from southern Spain to Greece and Turkey and also found in the Caucasus.

Resident throughout range with only short-distance dispersal but may move further in the east as a result of more severe winter weather. Vagrants have been recorded in Ireland and Finland, Malta and the Balearics.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

There are 4^[1]

• Nominate race is found over much of range (Britain south to France, Alps, northern Yugoslavia and Romania)
• karelini: which is duller and greyer than the nominate

• Italy, South-East Europe and South-West Asia.

• The Iberian race sharpei is more distinct; the face is much greyer with black confined to lores and little or no barring on the underparts, moustachial stripe of male has much more red.

• Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrénées

Male, subspecies Sharpei
Photo by Mark Etheridge
Photo taken: Clot de Galvany, Spain

• innominatus is found in western Iran and bampurensis in Baluchistan.

bampurensis is generally considered invalid

[edit] Habitat

Deciduous or mixed woodland, generally in more lowland areas than Grey-headed Woodpecker. Common in parks and large gardens, and also open areas with scattered trees, especially in winter.

[edit] Behaviour

Usually solitary or in pairs, feeds mainly on the ground, often 'star-gazes'.

[edit] Flight

Markedly undulating flight, caused by prolonged closure of wings.

[edit] Breeding

They drill out holes in trees for the nest.

[edit] Diet

Insects are captured by a rapid outward flick of the long tongue, gummed to its tip by sticky saliva. Green Woodpecker likes very much to eat ants. So, birds from this species can be seen searching and eating ants on the ground (a behaviour not very common for European woodpeckers).

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: A loud plue, plue, plue, which sounds like a laugh, or "yaffle", from which it gets the country name

Photo by Mahsleb
Minsmere, Suffolk, October 2012

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition ISBN 0 00 219900 9
4. AvianWeb

• List of references

[edit] External Links