Identification

25-28cm. The White-backed Woodpecker is slightly bigger than Great Spotted Woodpecker, longer-necked, with more angular head profile and longer bill. Vent light red, poorly demarcated, belly faintly tinged buffy-pink. Flanks streaked. Black band on head-side does not reach crown, leaves white ‘throughway’. Despite its name, white back can be hard to see, but at least in flight lower back is conspicuously white. Perched bird in side view told by white median coverts forming broad horizontal patch, broader than white remex bars. male has all-red crown, female black.

Description

The White-backed Woodpecker breeds in small numbers in mature, closed forests primarily consisting of beech, woods on scree slopes and forests in gorges at high and locally at medium elevations. In the Northern Uplands breeds in the Zemplén Mountains, on the Aggtelek Karst, in the Bükk, Heves-Borsod as well as the Karancs, Medves, Mátra and Börzsöny hills and mountains. Less widespread in the Transdanubian Uplands (High and Northern Bakony, Vértes, Gerecse and Visegrád mountains). Its Hungarian population is stable, but its presence has not been confirmed in certain areas in the past few years. Resident in Hungary.