Photo: Alexis Lours / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridis
European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) is a member of the Picidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 176 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Picus
- Species viridis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 176 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The European Green Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The European Green Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL w.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 176 g, with a wing length of about 16.5 cm and a tail of around 10.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the European Green Woodpecker?
The European Green Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 176 g.
Where does the European Green Woodpecker live?
The European Green Woodpecker is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL w, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the European Green Woodpecker belong to?
The European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the European Green Woodpecker eat?
The European Green Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the European Green Woodpecker migrate?
The European Green Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the European Green Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the European Green Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the European Green Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the European Green Woodpecker's range?
The European Green Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.