Okinawa Woodpecker

Dendrocopos noguchii

Woodpeckers · Piciformes · Rare

The Okinawa Woodpecker (Dendrocopos noguchii) is a rare woodpecker found only in Japan, weighing about 200 g. The Okinawa woodpecker is a woodpecker endemic to the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan.

EndangeredRareEndemicEats invertebratesforestcavity nest200 g

About the Okinawa Woodpecker

The Okinawa woodpecker is a woodpecker endemic to the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

This is a medium-sized (31 cm), dark woodpecker. It is dark brown in color with red-tipped feathers. It has white spots on the primaries. The head is a paler brown, with a dark red crown on the male and a blackish-brown one on the female. The call is a sharp whit call and a variable kyu-kyu kup kup kup or kyu kyu kup.

Where it lives

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, October, November, with peak activity in May. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify an Okinawa Woodpecker?
This is a medium-sized (31 cm), dark woodpecker. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is an Okinawa Woodpecker?
The Okinawa Woodpecker is a medium sized bird weighing about 200 g.
Where can you see an Okinawa Woodpecker?
The Okinawa Woodpecker is endemic to Japan, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to an Okinawa Woodpecker?
The Okinawa Woodpecker is most easily confused with the White-winged Woodpecker, the Sind Woodpecker and the Stripe-breasted Woodpecker.
Is the Okinawa Woodpecker endangered?
The Okinawa Woodpecker is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Okinawa Woodpecker for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.