Birds
White-backed Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos · also called white-backed woodpeckers
Working a standing dead tree left untouched by modern forestry, a white-backed woodpecker signals something increasingly rare across Europe, since its presence alone is often taken as proof that a forest still holds the old, decaying wood true old-growth habitat depends on.
Overview
The white-backed woodpecker, Dendrocopos leucotos, is a large spotted woodpecker native to forest habitat across much of Europe. Its distinctive white lower back, heavy dependence on standing dead wood, and use as a recognised indicator species for genuine old-growth forest health make it one of the most ecologically significant and increasingly rare woodpeckers found anywhere in Europe.
A living measure of forest health
Because the white-backed woodpecker depends so completely on standing dead wood, conservationists often treat its presence as a direct signal of whether a forest still retains the qualities of genuine old growth.
Status
Near Threatened, having declined in parts of Europe due to intensive forestry practices that remove the standing dead wood the species depends on.
White-backed Woodpecker: common questions
Why is the white-backed woodpecker used as an indicator of forest health?
This species requires unusually large amounts of standing dead and decaying wood within its territory, so its presence or absence is often used as a reliable indicator of genuine old-growth forest health.
Why is the white-backed woodpecker declining?
This species has declined in parts of its range due to intensive forestry practices that remove standing dead wood before it can accumulate naturally, eliminating a resource this species depends on heavily.
How can you identify a white-backed woodpecker?
This species has a distinctive white patch across the lower back, a feature that gives the species its common name and helps distinguish it from similar spotted woodpeckers.
How does the white-backed woodpecker compare in size to the middle spotted woodpecker?
This species is noticeably bigger than the closely related middle spotted woodpecker, making it one of the larger spotted woodpeckers found across Europe.