Knock on wood: woodpeckers in zoos

I've seen the following Woodpeckers in the wild (asterisk on ones I've seen captive as well):
Williamson's Sapsucker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker*
Lewis's Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker*
Gila Woodpecker*
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker*
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Arizona Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker*
Northern Flicker
Gilded Flicker*

Additionally I've seen these captive:
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Greater Yellownape
 
Woodpeckers are rarely highlighted in zoos, but the largest aviaries I've seen for these birds are to be found at Nordens Ark in Sweden. This is a zoo that excels with a long list of brilliant enclosures, mainly for felines, but there are a few birds on the grounds. Two aviaries contain White-backed Woodpeckers, a species not often seen in captivity.

full


full
 
In the wild I've seen the following:
Red-headed
Northern Flicker
Pileated
Pale-billed
 
Ituri said:
I've seen the following Woodpeckers in the wild (asterisk on ones I've seen captive as well):
Williamson's Sapsucker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker*
Lewis's Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker*
Gila Woodpecker*
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker*
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Arizona Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker*
Northern Flicker
Gilded Flicker*
Click to expand...
That's a nice increase, from seven wild species in your 2012 post up to 19 species in 2023.

I was on 20 species in 2012, have gone up to 44 currently.
 
I’ve seen the following species
Wild
. Pileated Woodpecker
. Downy Woodpecker
. Hairy Woodpecker
. Red-Bellied Woodpecker
. Red-Headed Woodpecker
. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
. Northern Flicker
. Golden-Tailed Woodpecker

Captivity
. Pileated Woodpecker
. Downy Woodpecker
. Puerto Rican Woodpecker
 
snowleopard said:
Woodpeckers are rarely highlighted in zoos, but the largest aviaries I've seen for these birds are to be found at Nordens Ark in Sweden. This is a zoo that excels with a long list of brilliant enclosures, mainly for felines, but there are a few birds on the grounds. Two aviaries contain White-backed Woodpeckers, a species not often seen in captivity.

full


full
Click to expand...
It is unusual for Europe.
In France, I don't know if a single zoo has woodpeckers, or used to have them in the recent past.
 
I've only seen one species in captivity - Greater Yellownape at San Diego Zoo.

I've seen another 14 species in the wild:

Williamson's Sapsucker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Lewis's Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
 
bongorob said:
I've only seen 5 species

In captivity
White Woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus) Blackpool, Chester, London
Wagler's Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) Winged World
Blond-crested Woodpecker (Celeus flavescens) Birdworld
Western Black-headed Woodpecker (Picus erythropygius nigregensis) Chester

And one wild species
Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)
Click to expand...

I can add Western European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis viridis) in the wild. I have also heard, but not seen wild British Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor comminutus).

My next door neighbour has Greater Spotted Woodpeckers visiting her bird table. Unfortunately her garden is at right angles to my house and I have never seen them there.
 
Last edited:
I suppose I'll throw my hat into the ring:

Captive
-Red-bellied Woodpecker
-Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
-Downy Woodpecker
-Black-rumped Flameback
-Pileated Woodpecker

Wild
-Red-headed Woodpecker
-Acorn Woodpecker
-Gila Woodpecker
-Red-bellied Woodpecker
-Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
-Downy Woodpecker
-Ladder-backed Woodpecker
-Hairy Woodpecker
-Arizona Woodpecker
-Northern Flicker
-Gilded Flicker
-Pileated Woodpecker

And if all goes according to plan both lists should expand before the end of the year!
 
It is an old record, but according to the 80th Anniversary of Korea's Zoo, there is a record of breeding unknown specie of woodpecker(The recorded scientific name is that of Japanese green woodpecker), grey-headed woodpecker, greater spotted woodpecker, and tristram's woodpecker in Changgyeongwon in 1940 and 1943, during Japanese colonial era.

20231104_213144.jpg
80th Anniversary of Korea's Zoo : Changgyeongwon Part, p. 156​

The author of this book, the first director of Seoul Zoo, Oh Chang-young, also described his surprise in book, saying, "I don't know how they managed to raise tristram's woodpecker, a rare bird among rare birds." This subspecies is referred to as South Korea's Ivory-billed woodpecker, and was declared extinct in South Korea in July 2017.

And subsequent records show that amur lesser spotted woodpecker(Dryobates minor amurensis) was bred at Changgyeongwon from 1962 to 1967. It is on October 1, 1962, Heo Gye-woo, a resident of Gyeonggi-do, donated two to Changgyeongwon. And the Seoul Zoo, where Changgyeongwon moved, has a record of breeding three Grey-headed woodpeckers from 1986 to 1994.

There are no woodpeckers in Korean zoos now, but wild woodpeckers are often seen inside zoos. I could see Greater spotted woodpecker and Japanes pygmy woodpecker inside the zoo.
 

Attachments

  • 20231104_213144.jpg
    20231104_213144.jpg
    90.5 KB · Views: 149
Last edited:
snowleopard said:
Woodpeckers are rarely highlighted in zoos, but the largest aviaries I've seen for these birds are to be found at Nordens Ark in Sweden. This is a zoo that excels with a long list of brilliant enclosures, mainly for felines, but there are a few birds on the grounds. Two aviaries contain White-backed Woodpeckers, a species not often seen in captivity.

full


full
Click to expand...

We’re so happy to hear that you visited us and appreciated our aviaries. In regards of the White-backed Woodpecker, Nordens Ark have been a big part of the conservation project for the White-backed Woodpecker in Sweden since 1995. Our role was to develop a breeding method in captivity for the species, with the goal to produce enough individuals for releases. Breeding White-backed Woodpecker in captivity had never been done before at that time.

It took us some years to develop the breeding method, and finally in 2002 the first chicks of White-backed Woodpecker hatched for the first time in captivity at Nordens Ark. A world-unique event!

Between 2002-2021 more than 160 White-backed Woodpeckers were hatched at Nordens Ark, and the majority of them were released at suitable deciduous forest locations.

Today, Nordens Ark is no longer a practical partner of the project, but instead a strategic one. Together with the Nature Conservation Society, we are developing plans for the continued breeding and release work where Nordens Ark assists with our unique expertise.

We are happy to see this interest for woodpeckers, it's such an interesting species!
 
Chlidonias said:
That's a nice increase, from seven wild species in your 2012 post up to 19 species in 2023.

I was on 20 species in 2012, have gone up to 44 currently.
Click to expand...
These are my 44 (just copied over from my lists so ignore any format issues and I'm not sure if the scientific names are current or not):


Wryneck Jynx torquilla (China)

Rufous Piculet Sasia abnormis (Peninsular Malaysia; Sabah; Thailand; Sumatra)
White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea (Vietnam; Thailand)

Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus (China; Thailand; Peninsular Malaysia)

Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus (China)

Bamboo Woodpecker Gecinulus viridis (Thailand)
Pale-headed Woodpecker Gecinulus grantia (Vietnam)
Olive-backed Woodpecker Gecinulus (Dinopium) rafflesii (Peninsular Malaysia)

Buff-necked Woodpecker Meiglyptes tukki (Peninsular Malaysia)
Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis (Peninsular Malaysia)
Black and Buff Woodpecker Meiglyptes jugularis (Thailand)

Grey and Buff Woodpecker Hemicircus concretus (Peninsular Malaysia; Sabah)
Heart-spotted Woodpecker Hemicircus canente (Thailand; Vietnam)

Sunda Pigmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Yungipicus) moluccensis (Peninsular Malaysia; Singapore; Sumatra; Flores)
Sulawesi Pigmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Yungipicus) temmincki (Sulawesi)
Brown-capped Pigmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Yungipicus) nanus (India)
Grey-capped Pigmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Yungipicus) canicapillus (China; India; Thailand; Vietnam)

Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Dryobates) cathpharius (China)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Dryobates) minor (Mongolia)

Brown-fronted Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Dendrocoptes) auriceps (India)

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos (Leiopicus) mahrattensis (India)

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos macei (India)
Freckle-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos analis (Thailand; Java)
Darjeeling Woodpecker Dendrocopos darjellensis (China)
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major (China)
White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos (South Korea; Russia)

Maroon Woodpecker Blythipicus rubiginosus (Sabah)

Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus (Celeus) brachyurus (Singapore; Thailand; Vietnam; India)

Lesser Yellownape Woodpecker Picus chlorolophus (India; Thailand)
Crimson-winged Woodpecker Picus puniceus (Peninsular Malaysia; Sarawak; Sabah)
Laced Woodpecker Picus vittatus (Peninsular Malaysia; Singapore; Vietnam)
Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus (India)
Black-headed Woodpecker Picus erythropygius (Vietnam)
Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus (China; India)

Chequer-throated Woodpecker Picus (Chrysophlegma) mentalis (Peninsular Malaysia)
Banded Woodpecker Picus (Chrysophlegma) miniaceus (Singapore; Sarawak; Sabah; Peninsular Malaysia; Sumatra)
Greater Yellownape Woodpecker Picus (Chrysophlegma) flavinucha (Burma; India; Peninsular Malaysia; Thailand; Vietnam; Sumatra)

Common Flameback Dinopium javanense (Singapore; Peninsular Malaysia; Sarawak; India; Thailand; Vietnam)
Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense (India)
Red-backed Flameback Dinopium psarodes (Sri Lanka)

Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus (India; Thailand; Vietnam)

Ashy Woodpecker Mulleripicus fulvus (Sulawesi)
Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus (Sarawak)

Orange-backed Woodpecker Reinwardtipicus validus (Java; Peninsular Malaysia; Sabah)
 
My first and only time seeing a woodpecker was at Ueno Zoo, seeing their great slaty woodpecker. I had never seen a woodpecker up until that moment so it was real special for me.
 
I don't think I came across any woodpeckers in Zoo Exhibit before, except in the wild ones like Common Flameback.
 
I've seen some wild Gila Woodpeckers hanging out on the saguaros at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, but as far as I'm aware I haven't seen any in captivity. As for ones I've seen in the wild, it's honestly a pretty short list:
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Gila Woodpecker
  • Northern Flicker
  • Williamson's Sapsucker
 
Bunnyrich said:
I don't actually believe I've ever seen Woodpeckers in zoos but here's my list of species I've seen in the wild

Acorn Woodpecker
American-Three Toed Woodpecker
Arizona Woodpecker
Black Backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Gilded Flicker
Golden Fronted Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Ladder Backed Woodpecker
Lewis's Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Red Breasted Sapsucker
Red Headed Woodpecker
Red Naped Sapsucker
White Headed Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker

Living in Utah and moving from California definitely gives me a crazy advantage on this one
Click to expand...
Bit late but was the red-headed woodpecker the vagrant in San Francisco?
 
I haven't seen any species in captivity but in the wild, I have seen
Red-breasted sapsucker,
Lewis's woodpecker,
red-headed woodpecker which was a vagrant to California
Acorn woodpecker
Nuttall's woodpecker
hairy woodpecker
and the Northern flicker of the red-shafted variety and intergrades.
White-headed and downy being nemesis birds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top