Pygmy Woodpecker

The pygmy woodpecker (Yungipicus canicapillus) is a small species, typically measuring around 14 to 15 centimeters in length. It is noticeably smaller than most woodpeckers found in the same range, such as the great spotted woodpecker. Its small size is one of the key field marks for identifying it in the wild.

The species is widely distributed across East Asia, including Japan, Korea, mainland China, and parts of the Russian Far East. It inhabits a variety of forested and wooded environments, from lowland deciduous forests to montane areas. Birders in Japan and South Korea can commonly spot it in suburban parks and woodlots as well as more remote forests.

No, that title generally belongs to the bar-breasted piculet or other piculet species, which are even smaller than the pygmy woodpecker. However, the pygmy woodpecker is among the smallest woodpeckers within its East Asian range. Within that region, it is noticeably more compact than species like the great spotted woodpecker.

The pygmy woodpecker is currently classified in the genus Yungipicus. It was previously placed in the genus Dendrocopos, which includes many other small and medium-sized woodpeckers, before taxonomic revisions moved it and several related species. Its scientific name is Yungipicus canicapillus.