Fun Green Woodpecker Facts For Kids
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The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is also known as the European green woodpecker. The green woodpecker is known to be found in Europe and the range consists of almost 75 % of Europe.
The range includes France, Germany, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania. This woodpecker species is also known to be found in western Asia.
The population of this bird is scarce in west Wales and Scotland. The habitat of this woodpecker includes open regions like small woodlands, hedges, and floodplain forests and for nesting, this woodpecker requires trees like old deciduous trees. Habitats like grasslands, orchards, plantations are preferred for foraging.
The bonding of the pairs for breeding occurs in March and breeding occurs in April. The nest is made few feet above the ground and this nest can also be placed on a tree.
Around four to six eggs are laid in the nest and incubation takes place for about 19-20 days. The chick or the juvenile is altricial at birth.
The green woodpecker is green on the upper part and pale yellowish or green below. It has a yellow rump and a red nape and crown. The tail is short and the bill is long and strong.
There have been three subspecies of green woodpecker or the European green woodpecker recognized and these subspecies are known to breed in Iran, Italy, and Europe. These birds are year-round residents in a lot of parts of Britain. Green woodpeckers have a laughing call and an undulating flight.
It is quite fascinating to learn about the green woodpecker (Picus viridis) and if you are interested, read about the ivory-billed woodpecker and the red-cockaded woodpecker too.
Green Woodpecker Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a green woodpecker?
A green woodpecker is a bird.
What class of animal does a green woodpecker belong to?
It belongs to the class of Aves of birds.
How many green woodpeckers are there in the world?
The estimated population of these birds is known to be around 920,000-2.9 million.
Where does a green woodpecker live?
This bird or woodpecker is found in Europe and the range consists of almost 75 % of Europe. The range includes France, Germany, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania. This woodpecker species is also known to be found in western Asia.
The population of this bird is scarce in west Wales and Scotland. The subspecies are breed in Iran, Italy, and Europe. They are quite common in the UK.
What is a green woodpecker's habitat?
The habitat of this woodpecker includes open areas like small woodlands, hedges, and floodplain forests. For nesting, this woodpecker requires trees like old deciduous trees. Habitats like grasslands, orchards, plantations are preferred for foraging.
Who do green woodpeckers live with?
The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is known to be solitary and is known to roost close to each other.
How long does a green woodpecker live?
These green woodpeckers are known to live for about eight to 10 years.
How do they reproduce?
The bonding of pairs takes place in March and breeding takes place in late April. The nest or holes can be a few feet above the ground in trees.
Four to six white eggs are laid and incubation takes place after the last egg is laid for about 19-20 days. Incubation of the eggs is done by both a male and a female.
The chick or juvenile is known to be altricial at birth and fledging takes place after 21-24 days. Molting takes place between June and November and the first flight feathers are lost when fledging takes place.
What is their conservation status?
This woodpecker species is not Endangered. They have been placed under the Least Concern category of conservation status.
Green Woodpecker Fun Facts
What do green woodpeckers look like?
The upper parts of the adult are known to be green in color and the underparts are dull yellowish or green in color. It has a yellow rump and the crown and nape are known to be red in color.
There is a red center in the moustachial stripe in a male, while in females it is black in color. The borders of the eye and lores are black in color and eyes are white in color. The body looks sturdy and the tail is short.
The bill is known to be long and strong. The juveniles are speckled all over the body and the mustache is dark-colored in comparison to an adult.
How cute are they?
These green woodpeckers are considered cute because of their plumage.
How do they communicate?
These green woodpeckers, just like other bird species, produce various types of sounds and calls to communicate with each other.
How big is a green woodpecker?
The length of these green woodpeckers range from 12-14 in (31-36 cm). The green woodpecker species are known to be larger than a Gila woodpecker and an acorn woodpecker.
How fast can a green woodpecker fly?
The exact speed of this woodpecker is unknown. The wingspan of this bird is known to be around 18–20 in (45–51 cm). It is known to have an undulating flight.
How much does a green woodpecker weigh?
The weight of this species of woodpecker is around 0.39 lb (0.18 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names for a male and female of this bird species.
What would you call a baby green woodpecker?
Baby woodpeckers are generally referred to as chicks, young ones, or juveniles.
What do they eat?
The primary food of these green woodpeckers is ants found on the ground. They also eat some other insects and small reptiles. This woodpecker is known to probe in the nests of ants and licks the larvae and adult ants. Woodpeckers in general are known to attack and eat hatchlings.
Are they dangerous?
These green woodpeckers are not considered dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
It is illegal to keep these woodpeckers as pets as they are wild birds.
Did you know...
The formal description of green woodpeckers was done by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist in the tenth edition of his System Naturae in 1758.
It is believed that this bird was bred for the first time in Scotland in 1951.
The binomial or scientific name of this bird has its roots in Latin and 'picus' means 'woodpecker' and 'viridis' means 'green'.
There have been three subspecies recognized which are Picus viridis viridis, P. v. karelini, and P. v. innominatus. They breed in Europe, Italy, and Iran, respectively.
The green woodpecker is known to be one of the largest species of woodpeckers found in the British Isles. The population is widely distributed in lowland England and the population is scarce in West Wales and Scotland. These birds are year-round residents in a lot of parts of Britain.
Some other woodpecker species include Eurasian green woodpecker, Cuban green woodpecker, and the green-barred woodpecker.
Green woodpeckers have a similar appearance to the gray-headed woodpecker and the two are often confused for each other.
It is believed that the character Professor Yaffle in 'Bagpuss', a children's animation series in 1974, was loosely based on the green woodpecker.
In several countries, green woodpeckers are the subject of postage stamps.
What is the green woodpecker's call?
The green woodpeckers have loud calls and these loud calls are referred to as yaffling. The song of the green woodpecker is considered to be a series of 10-18 'klu' sounds and this sound gets faster as it goes to the end and the pitch is known to fall slightly.
The call of the female of this species sounds like 'pu-pu-pu'. Yaffle is an English folk name that was given to this green woodpecker as it has a laughing call.
Are green woodpeckers protected?
The green woodpeckers are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the UK.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our flame bowerbird facts and red bird-of-paradise facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable woodpecker coloring pages.
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