# White-backed Woodpecker (*Dendrocopos leucotos*) The White-backed Woodpecker is a special bird with a striking white back and a black and white head. It loves to peck on trees to find yummy bugs to eat and makes a fun drumming sound when it taps on wood. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![White-backed Woodpecker](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dendrocopos_leucotos.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ubailves, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dendrocopos_leucotos.jpg) ## Appearance The White-backed Woodpecker is a large woodpecker recognized by its prominent white lower back, contrasting with a black upper body. Males feature a red cap, while females have a black one. Its wings show distinctive white barring on a dark background. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Piciformes - **Family:** Picidae - **Genus:** Dendrocopos ## Interesting facts - Its tongue can extend far beyond its beak, helping it find hidden meals! - They use powerful drumming on trees to find a mate and mark their territory. - This woodpecker prefers to eat insects from dead or dying trees, acting like a forest cleaner! - Woodpeckers have special muscles and bones around their eyes to protect them while pecking! ## Special abilities - **Skull Protection:** White-backed Woodpecker has a unique skull structure that absorbs shock, preventing brain injury during powerful pecking. - **Grub Grabber:** White-backed Woodpecker can extend its super-long, barbed tongue to extract beetle larvae from deep within deadwood. - **Tree Navigator:** White-backed Woodpecker can cling vertically to tree trunks using strong zygodactyl feet and stiff tail feathers for support. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 24-28 cm - **Wingspan:** 38-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.07-0.12 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 10-11 days ## Diet & Feeding Mainly eats insect larvae found deep within dead or decaying wood, along with some ants and berries. - **Primary Foods:** Beetle larvae, Ants, Spiders, Moth larvae, Berries, Tree sap - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Great Capricorn Beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-capricorn-beetle) (*Cerambyx cerdo*) — larvae from decaying wood - **Eats:** Red Wood Ant (*Formica rufa*) — ants from forest floor - **Eaten by:** [Northern Goshawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-goshawk) (*Accipiter gentilis*) — a predator of adult woodpeckers - **Depends on:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — old, decaying trees for nesting and food ## 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. - [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. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-backed 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 White-backed Woodpecker? 24-28 cm ### What is White-backed Woodpecker's wingspan? 38-40 cm ### How much does White-backed Woodpecker weigh? 0.07-0.12 kg ### How long does White-backed Woodpecker live? 5-10 years ### How fast can White-backed Woodpecker move? 50 km/h ### What does White-backed Woodpecker eat? Mainly eats insect larvae found deep within dead or decaying wood, along with some ants and berries. ### Where is White-backed Woodpecker usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Sagittario Gorges Regional Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sagittario-gorges-regional-nature-reserve) — IT · Park - [Irati Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/irati-forest) — Navarra, ES · Park - [Akan-Mashu National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/akan-mashu-national-park) — Hokkaido, JP · Park - [Western Valleys Natural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/western-valleys-natural-park) — Aragón, ES · Park - [Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fuji-hakone-izu-national-park) — Kanto / Chubu, JP · Park - [Hallasan National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hallasan-national-park) — KR · Park [View all places to see White-backed Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-backed-woodpecker) ## 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: [White-backed Woodpecker: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-backed-woodpecker)