- Picus canus
Identification
Grey-faced Woodpecker (Picus canus)
AKA Grey-headed Woodpecker
Range: Main breeding range lies from Europe east to Sakhalin, Hokkaido, throughout much of China, the Himalayas and South-east China south to Vietnam. In Europe breeds in southern Scandinavia and central and eastern Europe south to northern Greece and easteards to the Urals. Also has a patchy distribution further west breeding in west and central France, Luxembourg and central and southern Germany, northern Switzerland, northern Italy and more widely in Austria. Recently found to be breeding in northeastern and western Turkey. In the east of range there are isolated populations in north-east India, the mountains of Malaysia and Sumatra, on Taiwan and Hainan. Mainly resident but short-distance dispersal common and altitudinal movements recorded. Very rarely seen outside breeding range but has been recorded in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Netherlands and Turkey, and in March 1992 reported in Circeo National Park, Italy, well south of known Italian range.
Habitat: Diverse woodlands including coniferous taiga forest, temperate deciduous woodland and subtropical forest, bamboo groves. Where both occur usually found in more upland areas than Green Woodpecker. In Scandinavia found in coniferous forest mixed with aspen but in central Europe found in deciduous and riparian forest, small woods in farmland, parks and large gardens. Drums more frequently than Green Woodpecker. Feeds on the ground, usually solitary
Subspecies: About 11 races are generally recognised differing in depth of green and grey in plumage and in colour of head. Northern races are greyer overall with grey crown, southern an eastern races are greener with blacker crown and the isolated races robinsoni from Malaya and dedemi from Sumatra and small and dark.
