Sapheopipo noguchii
Japanese Name：ノグチゲラ
Chinese Names：野口啄木鳥、沖繩啄木鳥
English Name：Okinawa Woodpecker
Origin: Northern Okinawa Island
The Okinawa woodpecker is a species of woodpecker found exclusively in the forests of northern Okinawa, particularly in forests dominated by trees from the Fagaceae family. In dense forests, it feeds on insects such as beetle larvae found in deadwood, and occasionally consumes spiders, small arthropods, and plant fruits. It is highly dependent on forest environments. The breeding season lasts from April to June, during which it excavates cavities in large trees to raise its young. The heads of the juveniles and male birds are red, while the heads of the female birds are dark brown.
The name “Sapheopipo noguchii” refers to a figure associated with Henry James Stovin Pryer, an 18th-century British entomologist and ornithologist who lived in Yokohama during the Meiji era. Pryer, who worked for a trading company, collected birds and Lepidoptera specimens from various parts of Japan. In 1886, Pryer traveled to Okinawa with a person named Noguchi to collect specimens. The woodpecker was named in honor of Noguchi, who had collected a juvenile specimen. However, Pryer did not record the specific identity of this Noguchi. It is speculated that Noguchi may have been Noguchi Gennosuke, an interpreter who worked with Pryer, but there is no concrete evidence to confirm this.
In addition, Pryer collected many specimens in Okinawa, including the Okinawa Keelback Snake (Hebius pryeri) and the Ryukyu subspecies of the Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques pryeri), which are also named after him. He also authored a book on Japanese butterflies, making significant contributions to the study of Japan’s ecology.