Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus), male
Grey-headed Woodpecker, Male

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Picus canus

The Grey-headed Woodpecker, Picus canus, also known as the Grey-faced Woodpecker, is a bird of the woodpecker family, Picidae. It is a Eurasian species with a sizeable geographical range, extending from central and Eastern Europe across the vast expanse of Asia to the Pacific Ocean. This bird is distinguishable by its grey head and olive green upperparts, with males featuring a red forecrown.

Identification Tips

Adult males of the Grey-headed Woodpecker have a grey head adorned with a red patch on the forecrown, a black line across the lores, and a narrow black moustache stripe. The back, scapulars, and wing coverts are green, while the underparts are pale grey. Females lack the red forecrown and have fine black streaks on the crown instead. The species measures approximately 25–26 cm in length, with a wingspan of 38–40 cm, and weighs around 125 g.

Habitat

The Grey-headed Woodpecker shows a preference for deciduous forests rich in dead trees. These habitats provide the bird with ample foraging opportunities and nesting sites.

Distribution

This woodpecker's range spans from western France to the Urals in Europe and across Asia to the Pacific coast, including regions such as Sakhalin and Hokkaidō. It is generally found in areas where mixed forests give way to coniferous forests or where tree steppe transitions to shrubby steppe.

Behaviour

The Grey-headed Woodpecker is known for its breeding behavior, where both parents share the responsibility of raising the young. The breeding season typically occurs in May, with the female laying five to ten eggs. The chicks hatch after 15–17 days and fledge in about 24–25 days.

Song & Calls

The territorial song of the Grey-headed Woodpecker is a melodic series of calls, more refined than the "laughter" of the European Green Woodpecker. The call series consists of ten to fifteen notes that decrease in pitch and slow down, often described as melancholic. Both sexes drum, with the male being more frequent and louder.

Diet and Feeding

While the Grey-headed Woodpecker feeds primarily on ants, it is not as exclusively dependent on them as the European Green Woodpecker. Its diet also includes caterpillars, crickets, beetle larvae, flies, spiders, and lice. During late autumn and early winter, the bird incorporates berries and fruits into its diet.

Conservation Status

The Grey-headed Woodpecker is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Although there is a slight decline in population numbers, it is not significant enough to warrant an elevated threat status. Habitat destruction, particularly of ancient forests and riparian woodlands, poses the greatest threat to this species.

Grey-headed Woodpecker Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Grey-headed Woodpeckers on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Woodpeckers

A photo of a Bay Woodpecker (Blythipicus pyrrhotis) , male

Bay Woodpecker

Blythipicus pyrrhotis
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.