Grey-headed Woodpecker
Encyclopedia
The Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus), also known as the Grey-faced Woodpecker, is a Eurasia
n member of the woodpecker
family Piciformes.
Its plumage
closely resembles its near relative the European Green Woodpecker. It has green upperparts, pale grey underparts and a yellow rump. It has a grey head with black moustache, and the male has a red crown. It has a shorter neck, slimmer bill and slightly rounder head than the Green Woodpecker.
It is 25–28 cm long and weighs 130-180 grams.
Grey-headed woodpeckers live in leaf forests and mixed forests. They 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.
The Sibley-Monroe checklist
has two birds called "Grey-headed Woodpecker", Dendropicos spodocephalus and Picus canus. For the former, see African Grey-headed Woodpecker.
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
n member of the woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
family Piciformes.
Its plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
closely resembles its near relative the European Green Woodpecker. It has green upperparts, pale grey underparts and a yellow rump. It has a grey head with black moustache, and the male has a red crown. It has a shorter neck, slimmer bill and slightly rounder head than the Green Woodpecker.
It is 25–28 cm long and weighs 130-180 grams.
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.
The Sibley-Monroe checklist
Sibley-Monroe checklist 2
The Sibley-Monroe checklist was a landmark document in the study of birds. It drew on extensive DNA-DNA hybridisation studies to reassess the relationships between modern birds.-Anhimidae:* Anhima cornuta Horned Screamer...
has two birds called "Grey-headed Woodpecker", Dendropicos spodocephalus and Picus canus. For the former, see African Grey-headed Woodpecker.