Japanese green woodpecker

Japanese green woodpecker
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Picus
Species:
P. awokera
Binomial name
Picus awokera
Temminck, 1836

Japanese green woodpecker or Japanese woodpecker (Picus awokera) is a medium-sized woodpecker similar and closely related to the European green woodpecker, but endemic to Japan.

This species reaches about 30 cm in length, with bright green wings and tail, a red or black mustache and crown (as opposed to the black face of the green woodpecker), gray head, neck, and chest, and white underparts with black markings.

The Japanese green woodpecker is divided into at least two subspecies:

  • P. a. awokera, the nominate subspecies, found on Honshū
  • P. a. horii, native to Kyūshū

The binomial is a reference to the Japanese name of the species, aogera.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Picus awokera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22681459A92908107. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22681459A92908107.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.