- Picoides tridactylus
Description
Photo taken: Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park (West), Montana, USA
Identification
Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus RANGE Breeds throughout most of Fenno-Scandia (except the far north, the higher mountains and south-west Norway), parts of eastern Poland and the Baltic States and across Russia between about 660 and 530N. Isolated populations exist in Central Europe mainly in the Alps and Carpathians with a few scattered pockets of distribution in the Balkans. Occurs across Asia from the Urals to China and Kamchatka and a rare breeder in Hokkaido, Japan. Isolated populations in the Tien Shan Mts and in western China. In North America breeds from Alaska (except the far north) and across much of non-Arctic Canada and range extends south to Arizona and New Mexico.
Mainly resident but may be nomadic, dispersive or eruptive in far north of range. Vagrants recorded in Denmark, Germany and Hungary.
HABITAT Main habitat is coniferous forest with abundant dead wood, often around swampy areas, sometimes in birch and willow. In the south of range found in conifers on mountainsides.
SUBSPECIES About eight races are usually recognised with nominate found from Northern Europe to Sakhalin, replaced in the Urals by the paler-headed crissoleucus. The race alpinus from the Central European mountains and the Balkans is darker than nominate with dark barring on the back and bolder flank markings. Kamchatka race albidior is smaller than nominate with whiter plumage and funebris is darker than other races with less white on back. North American races, dorsalis from the Rocky Mts, fasciatus from Alaska to Oregon and bacatus in the east are smaller and darker than Palearctic races and are considered a separate species by some.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Picoides tridactylus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
