Japanese green woodpecker or Japanese woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker similar and closely related to the European green woodpecker, but endemic to Japan.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Endemic to Japan, occurring mainly on Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu with local presence on nearby islands. It occupies mature broadleaf and mixed forests, forest edges, temple groves, parks, and well-wooded suburban areas. The species favors areas with old or decaying trees suitable for cavity excavation. It forages both on the ground and on trunks, often around ant-rich clearings and fallen logs.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also known as the aogera in Japan, this species is closely related to the European green woodpecker. It specializes in feeding on ants using a long, sticky tongue and strong, chisel-like bill. Its laughing, ringing calls carry through forests, and it relies on mature trees for nesting cavities.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
undulating flight with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, forming monogamous pairs during the breeding season. Nests are excavated in dead or decaying trunks or large limbs; both sexes participate in excavation. Clutches usually contain 4–6 eggs, with both parents incubating and feeding the chicks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a ringing, laughing series of calls reminiscent of the European green woodpecker’s ‘yaffle’. Also drums on resonant wood, though less frequently than some other woodpeckers.
Plumage
Green upperparts with a yellowish rump, pale underparts finely barred or lightly streaked, and a contrasting face mask. Crown and nape show red in males; females have less red and lack the red moustachial stripe.
Diet
Primarily feeds on ants and their larvae, which it extracts from the ground, rotting wood, and tree bark. It also takes beetles, caterpillars, and other insects, using its long sticky tongue to probe crevices. In colder months it occasionally supplements its diet with berries and other plant material. Foraging involves probing, pecking, and flicking leaf litter to locate insect prey.
Preferred Environment
Often forages on the forest floor near ant mounds, along edges, and among fallen logs. It also works tree trunks and larger branches in mature woodlands and wooded parks. Human-altered green spaces with old trees, such as shrine and temple groves, can be important feeding sites.
