Birds
Okinawa Woodpecker
Dendrocopos noguchii · also called Noguchi's woodpecker
Sharing a single patch of subtropical forest with the equally endangered Okinawa rail, an Okinawa woodpecker survives nowhere else on Earth, one of the rarest woodpeckers in the world confined entirely to a shrinking corner of northern Okinawa.
Overview
The Okinawa woodpecker, Dendrocopos noguchii, is an Endangered woodpecker restricted entirely to forest habitat within the Yanbaru region of northern Okinawa Island. Its extreme geographic restriction, plain dark plumage unlike many showier relatives, and shared threats with the Okinawa rail from the same forest make it one of the most conservation-critical woodpeckers found anywhere in the world.
Two endangered species, one shrinking forest
The Okinawa woodpecker and Okinawa rail share far more than a home region, since both depend on the exact same shrinking stretch of Yanbaru forest and face the same combination of deforestation and introduced predators.
Status
Endangered, with an extremely small population restricted entirely to the Yanbaru forest of northern Okinawa Island.
Okinawa Woodpecker: common questions
Where is the Okinawa woodpecker found?
This species is restricted entirely to the Yanbaru forest region of northern Okinawa Island, found nowhere else on Earth, making it one of the most geographically limited woodpeckers in the world.
Is the Okinawa woodpecker related to the Okinawa rail?
Not directly related, but this species shares its restricted Yanbaru forest habitat with the equally endangered Okinawa rail, both threatened by many of the same pressures including deforestation and introduced predators.
Why is the Okinawa woodpecker endangered?
This species is threatened by ongoing deforestation and introduced predators such as mongooses and feral cats within its already limited range, pressures that have left its total population extremely small.
How can you identify an Okinawa woodpecker?
This species has relatively plain, dark plumage compared to many other woodpeckers, lacking the bold red or white markings common elsewhere in the family.