Birds of the region
Iberian Green Woodpecker
Iberian Green Woodpecker
Picus sharpei
The Green Woodpecker is a large and robust bird, identified by its green colour, which is more intense on the back and greyish on the underside. It has a characteristic red colour on the nape and forehead, with a marked red moustache under the beak. It is an unmistakable bird due to its characteristic song, a kind of whinneying sound that gives away its presence.
It captures and extracts ants from anthills with its long, sticky tongue.
31-33 cm
40-42 cm
Forest. Farmland.
Resident (Jan - Dec)
It mainly feeds on larvae and adult ants, which it captures on the bark of trees or on the ground.
