Japanese Woodpecker

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iJapanese Woodpecker

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Piciformes
Family:	Picidae
Genus:	Picus
Species:	P. awokera

Binomial name

Picus awokera
Temminck, 1836

Japanese Woodpecker (Picus awokera), also known as Japanese Green Woodpecker, is a medium-sized woodpecker similar and closely related to the Green Woodpecker, but endemic to Japan.

This species reaches about 30cm 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.

Japanese 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.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Picus awokera. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
Picus awokera (TSN 554120). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 4 February 2006.