white-backed woodpecker
A species of woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) found in parts of Eurasia, including Japan.
I spotted a white-backed woodpecker in a forest in Hokkaido.
The white-backed woodpecker pecks at tree trunks to find insects.
アカゲラ is the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), a more common and widespread species. オオアカゲラ is larger and has a white back.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in older or specialized texts; the word is usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also used, though katakana is more common for species names.
From 大 (おお, 'large') + 赤 (あか, 'red') + 啄木鳥 (げら, 'woodpecker'). The name refers to its size and the red patch on its head.