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In this video, we learn about the greater spotted woodpecker.

QUICK FACTS:

• Lifespan: 11 years (maximum recorded)
• Length: 8 in (21 cm)
• Wingspan: 14 in (36.5 cm)
• Weight: 3 oz (84 g)
• Family: Picidae

Description

The greater spotted woodpecker is a striking bird of the Picidae family. Its plumage is black and white with bright red undertail coverts. The upperparts are mainly black with white markings. The face is mostly white with black markings.

The underparts are cream-white. It has a strong, black, pointed bill and red eyes. Males have a red patch at the back of the head. Juveniles have a red crown and duller plumage than adults. Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet, meaning two toes point forward and two point backwards.

This enables them to perch on vertical surfaces such as tree trunks when drumming, excavating, and feeding. They also have very strong bills for drumming and drilling, and long sticky tongues for extracting invertebrates from trees.

There may be up to thirty subspecies of the greater spotted woodpecker, with slight variations in plumage and size.

Vocalizations: Call and drumming

The call is a sharp, high-pitched kik. They also produce more subtle notes and rattling noises. As typical of woodpeckers, they also make drumming noises by hammering on tree trunks, branches, and human-made objects with their strong bills. Greater spotted woodpeckers are known to drum rapidly, and the sound can be heard from a distance.

Did you know? Woodpeckers make drumming noises to communicate with each other and mark their territory.

Distribution and range

Greater spotted woodpeckers are native to Europe (including the British Isles), Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. They are sedentary across most of the range, but northern populations migrate south depending on food availability during winter.

Habitat

They are birds of mature forests and woodlands, but also occur in orchards, parks, and gardens with old trees.

Diet and feeding habits

Greater spotted woodpeckers are omnivorous and have a wide and varied diet. Using the strong bill, they drill holes into trees to extract insect larvae. They also pick off insects and other invertebrates from the surface of trees.

Other types of prey include spiders, snails, and even the eggs and nestlings of other birds. They also eat carrion and human food waste. During winter, greater spotted woodpeckers supplement their diets with plant foods such as seeds, nuts, berries, and tree sap.

Nesting and breeding

Great spotted woodpeckers are seasonally monogamous and strongly territorial. They nest in tree holes which they excavate together. The inside of the tree is lined with wood chips. The female lays up to seven eggs which both sexes incubate for around twelve days. The nestlings fledge about 22 days later.

Behavior

They are solitary birds that spend most of their lives in trees.

Status and conservation
This species has a wide and expanded range and a large population of up to 11 million birds. They are listed as “least concern” by the IUCN. However,

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