Japanese Woodpecker Picus awokera Scientific name definitions

c. 29–30 cm; 120–138 g. Male has blackish lower forehead and lores to below eye, red from mid-forehead to nape , variable amount of black and grey feathers (especially in nape area); black malar stripe with extensive red in centre; rest of head and neck side grey, often tinged greenish when fresh, chin white to greyish-white; hindneck greyish-green; upperparts grey-green to olive-green, rump and central uppertail-coverts broadly tipped yellow, outer tail-coverts green; wing-coverts and tertials edged and tipped bronze-yellow; flight-feathers blackish-brown, outer webs of secondaries and inner primaries greenish, white bars on inner webs of all feathers, also on outer webs of outer primaries; uppertail brown, central feathers edged green, indistinct broad yellow-brown bars; throat white, often tinged greyish, sometimes some blackish in centre of throat, breast greyish-white or pale buffish-green, belly paler, lower breast downwards with broad dark brown vermiculated barring, bars tinged greenish-olive on flanks; whitish underwing barred brown, blackish bars on coverts; fairly long bill broad-based, pointed with slightly curved culmen, overall yellowish with blackish culmen and tip; iris red; legs pale grey, tinged green or blue. Southern populations smaller and darker than northern ones. Female is slightly smaller than male, with shorter bill, has crown grey with black streaks or bars in centre, sometimes black patch, usually small red patch on nape, less red in malar. Juvenile much as adult but duller, greyer above, barring below coarser, especially on breast.

Japan from Honshu S to Shikoku, Kyushu, Yakushima and Tanegashima, and including offshore islands of Tobishima, Awashima, Sado and Tsushima.

Chief component of diet is ants (Lasius, Formica, Camponotus, Crematogaster); other arthropods taken include Hemiptera, beetles and their larvae, and spiders. Also eats fruits, berries and seeds (Sorbus, Rhus, Ilex). Forages mainly at middle levels, at 2–10 m, on substrates ranging from larger branches to slender twigs; seasonal shifts in foraging preferences occur, with lower levels visited in Jan–May. Compared with P. canus, seems to forage little on ground (c. 20% of observations in winter). Gleaning and pecking are commonest techniques, followed by probing, and sap-drinking (winter, early spring).

Loud “piyo” call  , also “ket, ket”. Drums  in quite fast rolls which are fairly long.

Apr–Jun. Nest-hole in tree at 2–4 m; also excavates holes in telephone poles (possibly only roosts). Clutch 7 or 8 eggs; no other information.