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Green Woodpecker

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                iGreen Woodpecker
   A female
   A female

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Piciformes
   Family:  Picidae
   Genus:   Picus
   Species: P. viridis

                                Binomial name

   Picus viridis
   Linnaeus, 1758

   The Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis, sometimes called Yaffle) is a
   member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It occurs in most parts of
   Europe, and in western Asia.

   The Green Woodpecker is probably the best known, though not always the
   commonest of the European woodpecker species; its large size, 30-36 cm
   in length with a 45-51 cm wingspan, conspicuous dress, loud call and
   habits render it more noticeable. Though a very green bird, colour is
   not always distinct in the field, much depending upon the light.

   The plumage of the sexes is similar, dark green above and yellowish
   green below and with crown and nape crimson, but in the male the centre
   of the moustachial black stripe is crimson. The lores and around the
   eye is black in both male and female, except in the Iberian race P. v.
   subsp. sharpei which lacks this black area. The rump is chrome yellow,
   the outer webs of the primaries barred black and white. The bill and
   feet are slate grey.

   The crimson at the base of the bill is present in the young of both
   sexes, and their upper parts are barred, their underparts barred,
   streaked and spotted.

   The usual habitat is more open than those of the pied Dendrocopos
   species; it frequents old timbered parks, and any open country where
   there are ancient trees rather than dense woodlands. Though a large and
   heavy bird it has an easy, bounding flight.

   It alights on a trunk or bough and works upwards with a diagonal or
   spiral course in quick jerky jumps or runs, halting occasionally with
   head drawn back and bill held at right angles to its body. As it
   proceeds it taps the bark smartly, probably sounding it for hollows
   made by its prey. Rarely, a bird will descend for a short distance,
   tail foremost.

   Insects are captured by a rapid outward flick of the long tongue,
   gummed to its tip by sticky saliva. From early in the year until summer
   the loud ringing plue, plue, plue is a typical woodland call, often
   described as a laugh, and from which the bird gets one of its names,
   "Yaffle".

   Folklore has associated this " song " with a threat of rain, and
   another name is " Rain bird," but weather has little to do with the
   bird's calls. Though it has been heard to "drum" upon wood, it
   certainly does not use this call so frequently as the spotted
   woodpeckers. The alarm note is the laugh emphasised and harshened.

   The food is similar to that of the spotted species, except that this
   bird has a passion for ants. It will attack large nests in the woods,
   throwing aside the piled pine needles with its bill and nipping up the
   insects with its tongue. When seeking ants it will wander to a distance
   from trees.

   The nesting hole is larger but similar to those of the other
   woodpeckers. It may be a few feet above the ground or at the top of a
   tall tree. Five to seven glossy white eggs are laid upon wood chips
   late in April or early in May. There is only one brood.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Woodpecker"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
