Grey-Headed Woodpecker

Picus canus (Gmelin, 1788)

male

female

juvenile

Distribution

Inhabits forests of South-Western Altai and Kalbinsky Altai. During autumn-winter dispersing occurs also in Ural valley and in northern Kazakhstan. Please see more detailed distribution in the section Subspecies.

Biology

Rare resident. Inhabits mixed forests, up to 1900 m in Altai. Breeding in separate pairs in tree holes (asp, larch) at height 3-5 m above the ground. Nesting hole is bored by both male and female. Clutches of 3 eggs was found 19 May 1982, but eggs laying begins probably in end of April - early May. Brood recorded in early July. Dispersing birds were observed from October to mid-March.

Subspecies

Picus canus canus (Gmelin, 1788) Description. Green on upper parts is deeper than jessoensis, greyish tinge on mantle is lack or slightly expressed. Distribution. On dispersal occurs in Ural valley (one was shot western of Uralsk 27 July 1950; recorded close to Yanaikino village 19 and 31 October 1956, 20 October 1986 and 24 February 1976) and in northern Kazakhstan, eastward to western foothills of Altai.

Picus canus jessoensis (Stejneger, 1886) Description. Green on upper parts less deep than canus, grey tinge on mantle is more expressed than canus, often more gray than green. Distribution. Breeds on Southwest Altai and in pine forests of Kalbinskiy Altai. Probably this race on dispersing reaches the South-Eastern Trans-Balkhash where was recorded at Lepsy village in August 1926.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.