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.
Green-backed woodpecker upper parts, spotted with cream or yellow, and buff or white underparts, boldly spotted with black, and flanks barred with black. The tail is green with individual feathers having brownish shafts. There is a white supercilium, the eye ring is grey, the iris chestnut, the beak grey tipped with black and the legs and feet grey or olive. The juvenile is similar to the female in appearance, although the nape may have little red. The green-backed woodpecker is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana,