Woodpecker head topography

Here is a sketch showing the important parts of a typical woodpecker's head and head plumage. When identifying and describing woodpeckers it is of course important to know and use the correct terms.

Syrian Woodpecker - an ID pointer

Syrian Woodpecker can easily be confused with Great Spotted Woodpecker. There are several subtle features in plumage which separate these two related species, with face pattern and vent colour perhaps the most obvious. However, the following feature is also often useful, especially if the face of a bird is obscured. The outer tail feathers of Syrian are mostly black with a few white spots, and those of Great Spotted Woodpecker are mostly white with a few black spots. See the tail of this Syrian Woodpecker photographed in Budapest, Hungary (Gerard Gorman).