Photo: Alastair Rae / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-backed Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos
White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) is a member of the Picidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 117 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 Dendrocopos
- Species leucotos
Quick facts
- Weight
- 117 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 117 g, with a wing length of about 14.6 cm and a tail of around 9.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 11.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-backed Woodpecker?
The White-backed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 117 g.
Where does the White-backed Woodpecker live?
The White-backed Woodpecker is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the White-backed Woodpecker eat?
The White-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The White-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-backed 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 White-backed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the White-backed Woodpecker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-backed Woodpecker's range?
The White-backed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 11.2 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.