European green woodpecker main food of the European green woodpecker is ants of the genera "Lasius" and "Formica" for which it spends much of its time foraging on the ground, though other insects and small reptiles are also taken occasionally. The bird's distinctive, elongated, cylindrical droppings often consist entirely of ant remains. At ant nests, it probes into the ground and licks up adult ants and their larvae. They have tongues that wrap to the back of their head. Green woodpeckers will often forage in short grazed or mown permanent grasslands where the availability of ant nests is high. A study of a
Green-backed woodpecker Green-backed woodpecker The green-backed woodpecker or little spotted woodpecker ("Campethera cailliautii"), is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is native to large parts of tropical central Africa. It has an extremely wide range and is an uncommon species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". The green-backed woodpecker grows to a length of about . The male has a scarlet crown flecked with black and a bright red nape. The female has a blackish crown spotted with white, and a red nape. Both sexes have green