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White-backed Woodpecker – Hokkaidō

on 7th July 2019
White-backed Woodpecker – adult female.

“We saw the White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos subcirris) a few times but less often than the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major japonicas) LINK. They are very similar as first glance. White-backed Woodpeckers in Hokkaido have more white in the plumage and those on the southern islands look darker.

White-backed Woodpecker – adult female.

“Images at the top, above and below are of an adult female that we first came across banging away at a wooden board-walk for insects (below) – large strips of thick wood had been used to create a walk way in a damp forest; feeding on ground well recognised (Brazil 2018). The above image shows the ‘white-back’ well but Gorman 2014 says “not as ‘white-backed’ as the name suggest, amount of white varying’.

White-backed Woodpecker – adult female.

“I am confident the bird we saw below, is an immature bird. I initially thought it was an immature male, as the red in the crown is not well developed. But HBW 2019 states on juveniles ‘both sexes with red or orange-red on crown, reduced on female, usually mixed with black’. I consulted my copy of Gorman’s ‘Woodpeckers of the World’ and he states “juvenile male has red crown, female usually some red on for crown”. Taking Gorman’s opinion, I’d say the bird in post 4 is an immature/juvenile male.

White-backed Woodpecker – immature.

“As I mentioned earlier, the White-backed Woodpecker and the Great Spotted Woodpecker are very similar as first glance. Adult males a can be distinguished by the extent of red in the crown – Great Spotted Woodpeckers having red only in the hind crown. But females and juveniles are more difficult. One good/quick feature in the field to look for is the black face bar – in the White-backed Woodpecker it does not reach the nape (or crown), in the Great Spotted Woodpecker it extends all the way up to the nape/back of the crown. The composite I put together to illustrate this is of a male Great Spotted Woodpeckers (above, sorry no female images) and a female White-backed Woodpecker below (below)”.

Above, male Great Spotted Woodpeckers, below, female White-backed Woodpecker below.

References:
1.
Gerard Gorman. Woodpeckers of the World – The Complete Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing 2014.
2. Winkler, H. & Christie, D.A. (2019). White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
3. Mark Brazil. Birds of Japan. Helm Field Guides 2018.

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
5 & 11th June 2019

Location: East Hokkaidō, Japan

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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