Gray-headed Woodpecker

Olive green across the back and wings, the Gray-headed Woodpecker has a pale gray head and light gray underside, with a slim black moustache stripe beside the bill. The male has a small red patch on the forehead; the female’s crown stays gray. Compared with the European Green Woodpecker, it lacks the broad black patch around the eye, and the male’s red is limited to the forehead.

It often searches on the ground, hopping between spots and probing ant tunnels with its bill before reaching in with a sticky tongue. In spring, its clear song repeats “kew” notes that gradually fall and slow. It also drums, sometimes on metal covers on roofs or masts, where the sound carries well.

Look for it in open deciduous or mixed woods, especially where dead or damaged trees remain, and in parks, gardens, and woodland edges. Ants and their young make up most of its food, though it also takes other insects and spiders; in autumn and early winter it adds fruit and berries. In colder parts of its range it may wander locally in winter, while tropical populations stay year-round.