European green woodpecker to split this species into three distinct species: "P. viridis" (Linnaeus, 1758) and "P. innominatus" (Sarudny & Loudon, 1905). The Iberian green woodpecker, ("P. sharpei"), has been split by some taxonomists including the IOC. More than 75% of the range of the European green woodpecker is in Europe, where it is absent from some northern and eastern parts and from Ireland, Greenland and the Macaronesian Islands, but otherwise distributed widely. Over half of the European population is thought to be in France, Spain and Germany, with substantial numbers also in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Russia, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria.
European green woodpecker gives a noisy "kyü-kyü-kyück" while flying. The song is a loud series of 10-18 'klü' sounds which gets slightly faster towards the end and falls slightly in pitch. The female makes a thinner "pü-pü-pü-pü-pü-pü-pü". The flight is undulating, with 3–4 wingbeats followed by a short glide when the wings are held by the body. It can be distinguished from the similar, but smaller, grey-headed woodpecker by its yellowish, not grey, underparts, and the black lores and facial 'mask'. In Europe, its green upperparts and yellow rump can lead to confusion with the grey-headed woodpecker or possibly the female golden oriole,