Woodpeckers of the World: Picid in Focus: White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Picid in Focus: White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos

This species ranges from continental Europe eastwards to Japan. There are 10 races, some very distinct. It is uncommon, if not rare, in western Europe but more common and widespread in the east. White-backed Woodpecker is a specialist, inhabiting mature forests with much dead and decaying wood and feeding mainly on wood-boring beetles. This photo of a male nominate race was taken in Austria by Thomas Hochebner.

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Background

Woodpeckers, the Picidae, are Piciformes, an order that includes some of the oldest avian lineages. The Piciformes probably originated about 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period and became distinct from their closest relatives some 50 million years ago. Depending upon which taxonomy is followed, and the fact that the status of some species is unclear, around 240-260 woodpecker species probably exist globally. The Picidae includes three subfamilies: Jynginae (wrynecks), Picumninae (piculets) and the Picinae, the “true woodpeckers”. In terms of size, behaviour, distribution and the habitats they use, the Picinae are a fairly diverse group of birds with six distinct tribes. They are widespread and found from sea-level to high-altitudes but absent from the Arctic, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and some other islands. Worldwide woodpeckers are usually, but not exclusively, associated with trees.