White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

White-backed Woodpecker

Dendrocopos leucotos (Bechstein, 1802)

24–26 cmLength38–40 cmWingspan117 gWeight

It resembles Great Spotted Woodpecker, but has white barring rather than white patches on the wings and a white lower back.

Busiest months: May · Most records: China, Russia, South Korea

Looks like Great Spotted Woodpecker

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. White lower back
  2. White stripes rather than spots on the wings

Male, female and young

The male has a red crown; the female has a black crown.

Voice

A soft “kiuk” and a longer “kweek”.

Similar species

Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker

The plumage is similar, but White-backed Woodpecker has white stripes rather than spots on the wings and a white lower back.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: China, Russia, South Korea

White-backed Woodpecker has been recorded at 246 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 25 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Muravyevka ParkRussia341 records
  2. Amami – Tatsugo – Amami Nature ForestJapan232 records
  3. Izmailovsky ParkRussia229 records
More places
  1. Dasyueshan IBA – Dasyueshan Forest-Road 23.5KTaiwan (China)192 records
  2. ÖKA Kocaçay Deltası – GenelTürkiye172 records
  3. Pocheon – Korea National Arboretum/Gwangneung ForestSouth Korea138 records
  4. Lotoshino Fish FarmRussia132 records
  5. Dasyueshan IBA – Xiaoxueshan Lodge (50K)Taiwan (China)98 records
  6. Nantou – Meifeng Highland Experimental Farm of NTUTaiwan (China)88 records
  7. Jeju City – Halla ArboretumSouth Korea87 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaRussiaSouth KoreaJapanFinlandTürkiyeSpainMongolia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) is a Eurasian woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocopos.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the White-backed Woodpecker?

The White-backed Woodpecker is about 24–26 cm long, with a wingspan of 38–40 cm and weighs around 117 g.

Where does the White-backed Woodpecker live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread. It is most often recorded in China, Russia and South Korea.

When is the best time to see the White-backed Woodpecker?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the White-backed Woodpecker endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-backed Woodpecker as Least Concern.

What does the White-backed Woodpecker eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the White-backed Woodpecker in?

It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.

At a glance

Length
24–26 cm
Wingspan
38–40 cm
Weight
117 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
146 mm
Tail
92 mm
Bill
37 mm
Tarsus
26 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 4
  • Dendrocopos leucotos tangi wc China
  • Dendrocopos leucotos fohkiensis se China
  • Dendrocopos leucotos insularis Taiwan (China)
  • Dendrocopos leucotos leucotos c, n Europe through c Russia to se Siberia and ne China

Classification

Family
Woodpeckers Picidae
Genus
Dendrocopos

Other birds in the genus Dendrocopos

Rufous-bellied WoodpeckerRufous-bellied WoodpeckerDendrocopos hyperythrusFulvous-breasted WoodpeckerFulvous-breasted WoodpeckerDendrocopos maceiFreckle-breasted WoodpeckerFreckle-breasted WoodpeckerDendrocopos analisStripe-breasted WoodpeckerStripe-breasted WoodpeckerDendrocopos atratusDarjeeling WoodpeckerDarjeeling WoodpeckerDendrocopos darjellensisHimalayan WoodpeckerHimalayan WoodpeckerDendrocopos himalayensisSind WoodpeckerSind WoodpeckerDendrocopos assimilisSyrian WoodpeckerSyrian WoodpeckerDendrocopos syriacusWhite-winged WoodpeckerWhite-winged WoodpeckerDendrocopos leucopterusGreat Spotted WoodpeckerGreat Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorOkinawa WoodpeckerOkinawa WoodpeckerDendrocopos noguchii
White-backed Woodpecker

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Alastair Rae. ↗

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