# Grey-headed Woodpecker (*Picus canus*) The Grey-headed Woodpecker is a colorful bird with a grey head and bright green body. It loves to peck on trees to find tasty bugs to eat. You might hear its fun tapping sound in the forest! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Grey-headed Woodpecker](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B4%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andrey Tsvirenko, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B4%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB.jpg) ## Appearance The Grey-headed Woodpecker has a distinctive grey head and nape, contrasting with a yellowish-green body. Males display a small red patch on their forehead. Its plain grey face distinguishes it from similar green woodpeckers, often featuring darker flight feathers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Piciformes - **Family:** Picidae - **Genus:** Picus ## Interesting facts - Their call sounds like a mournful, laughing whistle echoing through the quiet forest! - These clever birds primarily feast on ants, often excavating their nests for larvae! - They often forage on the ground, searching for ant nests hidden in the grass! - They typically make new nest holes each year, usually in softer, decaying wood! ## Special abilities - **Skull Shock Absorber:** Grey-headed Woodpecker has a specially adapted skull that helps them absorb impacts when pecking trees rapidly. - **Extendable Sticky Tongue:** Grey-headed Woodpecker can extend a long, barbed, sticky tongue to snatch ants and their larvae from deep crevices. - **Tree-Clinging Toes:** Grey-headed Woodpecker has zygodactyl feet (two toes forward, two back) that helps them grip tree bark securely. - **Tail Prop Stand:** Grey-headed Woodpecker can use its stiff tail feathers as a prop that helps them balance while climbing vertical tree trunks. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 25-28 cm - **Wingspan:** 40-42 cm - **Weight:** 0.08-0.13 kg - **Lifespan:** 6-10 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-10 - **Incubation:** 17-18 days ## Diet & Feeding These woodpeckers mainly munch on ants, especially their larvae and pupae, found in wood and on the ground. - **Primary Foods:** Ants, Ant larvae, Beetles, Insect larvae, Berries, Seeds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Red wood ant (*Formica rufa*) — A primary food source. - **Eats:** [Black garden ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-garden-ant) (*Lasius niger*) — Often foraged on ground. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Goshawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-goshawk) (*Accipiter gentilis*) — A natural forest predator. - **Depends on:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — Nests in old, decaying trees. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Grey-headed Woodpecker? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Grey-headed Woodpecker? 25-28 cm ### What is Grey-headed Woodpecker's wingspan? 40-42 cm ### How much does Grey-headed Woodpecker weigh? 0.08-0.13 kg ### How long does Grey-headed Woodpecker live? 6-10 years ### How fast can Grey-headed Woodpecker move? 50 km/h ### What does Grey-headed Woodpecker eat? These woodpeckers mainly munch on ants, especially their larvae and pupae, found in wood and on the ground. ### Where is Grey-headed Woodpecker usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Juwangsan National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/juwangsan-national-park) — KR · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Grey-headed Woodpecker: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grey-headed-woodpecker)