A review of co-occurrence and hybridization as neglected factors in studies of Syrian woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus and great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Abstract

Some species of woodpecker (Picidae), such as in the genus Dendrocopos, are known to occasionally hybridize. The distribution, biology and ecology of the Syrian woodpecker (D. syriacus) and the great spotted woodpecker (D. major) are fairly wellknown (less so in the case of Syrian), but these closely related species are seldom treated together in studies. This review summarizes the published data on these species in order to evaluate the omissions and inaccuracies in research and surveys on their sympatric populations. As research that deals with both species together is scant, the need to examine interactions, both antagonistic and hybridization, is advisable in order to properly understanding their ecology, ethology, breeding biology and demography.