Japanese Green Woodpecker

Calls with a whistle-like voice.

Scientific name	Picus awokera
English name	Japanese Green Woodpecker
Japanese name	緑啄木鳥
Class	Aves
Order	Piciformes
Family	Picidae
Genus	Picus
Species	awokera
Full length	29cm
Distribution	Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku

Japanese Green Woodpecker Characteristics and Morphology

Length is about 30cm. A dull green woodpecker endemic to Japan. Including the colors on its head, it is a surprisingly colorful bird.
The head is gray, with red on the crown and part of the malar stripe. The size of this red area differs between males and females. The beak also features some yellow. The irises are black. The ventral side is white with brown markings. It is also characterized by long toes for clinging to tree trunks.

Male

Appearance is almost identical to the female.
It has an elongated red patch from the forehead to the nape. The red part of the malar stripe is also slightly larger.

Female

Appearance is almost identical to the male.
Red is present only on the nape, and the area is smaller.

Song

The call is distinctive. It makes a "pyo-pyu" sound, like a high-pitched whistle, or a "ke-ke" sound, like a short whistle when taking flight.

Japanese Green Woodpecker Ecology

Habitat

Primarily inhabits broadleaf forests year-round.

Food

It flies from tree to tree, pecking at insects and spiders to eat. It occasionally descends to the ground to forage for food.

Life Cycle

It creates nests by excavating holes in living trees. During the breeding season, they act in pairs and take turns raising their young.

Japanese Green Woodpecker Photos

Japanese Green Woodpecker Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

Characterized by dull green plumage and a red head.

The flight feathers are close to olive in color.

Japanese Green Woodpecker Behavior

Its drumming is louder and more powerful than that of the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker. Since it is somewhat difficult to distinguish them by drumming alone, it is better to rely on their characteristic calls.

Japanese Green Woodpecker Information

Naming

The scientific name "awokera" is derived directly from the Japanese name. Regarding the Japanese name, while "ao" might suggest blue, it is because green was historically referred to as "ao" in Japan.

Japanese Green Woodpecker Found Locations

Komiya Park, Hachioji City

Discovered at Komiya Park in Hachioji City. While walking on the park's boardwalk, I could hear the calls of the Japanese Woodpecker but had trouble spotting it. Near where the loud calls were heard, I observed from a distance and saw it emerge from behind a tree. They seemed to be acting as a pair and were building a nest in a cherry tree with a hole slightly smaller in diameter than a golf ball.

Katakura Castle Ruins Park, Hachioji City

Japanese Woodpeckers also live in the woods of Katakura Castle Ruins Park. While strolling through the forest, I encounter them about once a day. The individuals here give the impression of being less wary of humans.