From Opus

Dendrocopos syriacus

Photo by Gabriel Rasson

[edit] Identification

23-25cm. Glossy black upperparts, crimson spot on nape, white sides of face and neck, large white shoulder patch, flight feathers barred black and white, buff underparts, red undertail coverts, black bill, green-grey legs. Females have no crimson on their nape.

[edit] Distribution

Southeastern Europe to Turkey, Iran, Israel and Jordan.

[edit] Taxonomy

This species is monotypic.^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Open woodland, scrubland, parks.

[edit] Behaviour

• Diet: Includes insects, moths, beetles and larvae; when insects are scarce they eat seeds and berries.
• Breeding: A 5cm nesting hole is bored into soft wood and the chamber is lined with woodchips. 11 cream-colored eggs are laid.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

• List of references

[edit] External Links