White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Dendrocoptes ("tree striking") leucotos ("white backed") 

Adult  male White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)  near Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: Dendrocopos leucotos lilifordi
Weight: 100-115g  /  Length: 25-28cm  /  Wingspan: 38-40cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A widely distributed species of woodpecker that ranges from Europe to Japan, but is generally scarc within its range as it requires large areas of forest including good amounts of standing deadwood.  In Europe particularly as a result its range is extremely fragmented. They are similar to other black and white woodpeckers but have a barred underside combined with a more spotty back than other species of similar size.

Related Species:

Order: Piciformes

Family: Picidae

Genus: Dendrocopos

SUBSPECIES: D. l. leucotos, D. l. uralensis, D. l. lilfordi, D. l. tangi, D. l. subcirris, D. l. stejnegeri, D. l. namiyei, D. l. takahashii, D. l. quelpartensis, D. l. owstoni, D. l. fohkiensis, D. l. insularis

 - Sighting Locations -

TURKEY  - Aksırtlı ağaçkakan ("Sneezing woodpecker")

 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One bird in the mountains near Side.

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto