Woodpeckers (Picidae)
White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) - HBW 7, p. 483
French: Pic à dos blanc
German: Weißrückenspecht
Spanish: Pico Dorsiblanco
Other common names: Owston’s Woodpecker (owstoni)
Taxonomy: Picus leucotos Bechstein, 1803, Silesia, south Poland.
Genus sometimes merged into Picoides. No very close relatives within genus; has hybridized rarely with D. major, and probably closest to that superspecies; similarity to D. medius may suggest relatedness, but this not borne out by available genetic data. Subspecific differentiation largely a result of vast range that includes many isolated and island populations, some of which are highly distinctive and possibly merit status of full species; SW race lilfordi possibly also a distinct species, separated by altitude and ecology from parapatric nominate race. Other des.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Picus leucotos Bechstein, 1803, Silesia, south Poland.
Genus sometimes merged into Picoides. No very close relatives within genus; has hybridized rarely with D. major, and probably closest to that superspecies; similarity to D. medius may suggest relatedness, but this not borne out by available genetic data. Subspecific differentiation largely a result of vast range that includes many isolated and island populations, some of which are highly distinctive and possibly merit status of full species; SW race lilfordi possibly also a distinct species, separated by altitude and ecology from parapatric nominate race. Other described races are uralensis (W Siberia), voznesenskii (E Siberia and Kamchatka), saghalinensis (Sakhalin), ussuriensis (Ussuriland and NE China), sinicus (Korea) and quelpartensis (Quelpart I), all considered inadequately differentiated or representing intergrades. Ten subspecies recognized.
Genus sometimes merged into Picoides. No very close relatives within genus; has hybridized rarely with D. major, and probably closest to that superspecies; similarity to D. medius may suggest relatedness, but this not borne out by available genetic data. Subspecific differentiation largely a result of vast range that includes many isolated and island populations, some of which are highly distinctive and possibly merit status of full species; SW race lilfordi possibly also a distinct species, separated by altitude and ecology from parapatric nominate race. Other described races are uralensis (W Siberia), voznesenskii (E Siberia and Kamchatka), saghalinensis (Sakhalin), ussuriensis (Ussuriland and NE China), sinicus (Korea) and quelpartensis (Quelpart I), all considered inadequately differentiated or representing intergrades. Ten subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- leucotos (Bechstein, 1803) - W Norway, Sweden, Finland and Poland S in Europe to E Switzerland, Austria, N Serbia and Carpathian Mts, and E through S taiga to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, NE China and Korea.
- lilfordi (Sharpe & Dresser, 1871) - Pyrenees, C Italy, the Balkans and Peloponnese, Turkey (NAnatolia, Taurus Mts), Caucasus and Transcaucasia.
- subcirris (Stejneger, 1886) - Hokkaido (N Japan).
- leucotos (Bechstein, 1803) - W Norway, Sweden, Finland and Poland S in Europe to E Switzerland, Austria, N Serbia and Carpathian Mts, and E through S taiga to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, NE China and Korea.
- lilfordi (Sharpe & Dresser, 1871) - Pyrenees, C Italy, the Balkans and Peloponnese, Turkey (NAnatolia, Taurus Mts), Caucasus and Transcaucasia.
- subcirris (Stejneger, 1886) - Hokkaido (N Japan).
- stejnegeri (Kuroda, 1921) - N Honshu (NC Japan).
- namiyei (Stejneger, 1886) - S Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Quelpart I (Cheju-do).
- takahashii (Kuroda & Mori, 1920) - Dagelet I (Ullung do), off E Korea.
- owstoni (Ogawa, 1905) - Amami-oshima (N Ryukyu Is).
- tangi Cheng Tschsin, 1956 - C China (Sichuan).
- fohkiensis (Buturlin, 1908) - SE China (Fujian).
- insularis (Gould, 1863) - Taiwan.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A pair bringing food to the nest Locality Quinto Real, Navarre, Spain (ssp lilfordi)
Alfonso Senosiain 30 April 1995 8 years ago 1 min 29 sec 4.6 -
A female foraging in a tree. Locality Vostretsovo, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp leucotos)
Josep del Hoyo 12 June 2009 3 years ago 53 sec 4.4 -
Bird hammering on a tree trunk. Locality Lake Kussharo, Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan (ssp subcirris)
Helmut Schenkel Brunner 4 February 2010 2 years ago 23 sec 4.4 -
A dorsal view of a male pecking on a trunk Locality Kirov Park, Oral (Uralsk), West Kazakhstan Province, Kazakhstan (ssp uralensis)
Askar Isabekov 18 April 2006 5 years ago 8 sec 4.3 -
A male in a tree, foraging. Locality Miike, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan (ssp namiyei)
Josep del Hoyo 27 January 2010 2 years ago 47 sec 4.1 -
A male climbing and feeding at a tree trunk Locality Kirov Park, Oral (Uralsk), West Kazakhstan Province, Kazakhstan (ssp uralensis)
Askar Isabekov 18 April 2006 5 years ago 11 sec 3.6
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Male and female White-backed Woodpeckers on the nest.
Locality Kloostri, Lääne County, Estonia
Rein Kuresoo 11 May 2008 1 year ago 4.2 -
uncommon woodpecker from SW China
Locality Sichuan, China (Northern) (ssp tangi)
Jiawei 27 August 2008 2 years ago 4 -
A male perched on a tree trunk.
Locality Amami Ōshima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan (ssp owstoni)
Pete Morris 1 July 2002 14 weeks ago 3.8 -
A female feeding on a trunk.
Locality Amami Ōshima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan (ssp owstoni)
Pete Morris 1 June 2005 18 weeks ago 3.6 -
A female White-backed Woodpecker occasionally migrating to Helsinki region in winter.
Locality Southern Finland Province, Finland
Ahvenainen 10 January 2009 2 years ago 3.5 -
adult female perched on treetrunk
Locality Xinjiang, China (Northern) (ssp leucotos)
Dusan Brinkhuizen 25 May 2008 3 years ago 3.4
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A bird pecking a trunk.
Locality Razdolnaya River Estuary, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia
(ssp leucotos)
Josep del Hoyo 4 June 2009 3 years ago 3 -
Click to play
A bird drumming (use heaphones) Locality Vest-Agder County, Norway
(ssp leucotos)
Eric Roualet 15 May 2010 11 weeks ago 0
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