Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) [XC512604]
by Stanislas Wroza from Bossay-sur-Claise, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France (call)
Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) [XC688989]
by Vladim\u00edr Nem\u010dek from Corcelles-Cormondr\u00e8che, Boudry, Canton of Neuch\u00e2tel, Switzerland (call)
Subspecies
Superficial similarity to White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) may suggest possible relationship, although this not supported by available genetic data. May be related to Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos macei) superspecies, but there is little evidence. Variation is largely clinal. Other named subspecies are lilianae (north-western Spain), splendidior (south-eastern Europe to Greece and Turkey) and laubmanni (southern Transcaucasia), all regarded as unacceptable.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
medius (Linnaeus, 1758) - North-western Spain and France north-east to southern Sweden (recently extinct), Estonia, western Russia and Ukraine, and south-east to Italy and the Balkans.
caucasicus Bianchi, 1905 - Northern Turkey, Caucasus and Transcaucasia; probably this subspecies in north-western Iran.
anatoliae (Hartert, 1912) - Western and southern Asia Minor.
sanctijohannis (Blanford, 1873) - Zagros Mts in south-western Iran.