Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
Conservation Status
Least ConcernAves · Piciformes · Picidae
About
The great spotted woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recolonisation of Ireland in the first decade of the 21st century and to vagrancy to North America. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees to find food or excavate nest holes, and also drum for contact and territorial advertisement; like other woodpeckers, they have anatomical adaptations to manage the physical stresses from the hammering action.
Fun Fact
Great spotted woodpeckers drum on trees at 20 beats per second, and their skulls contain spongy bone, a thick cerebrospinal fluid cushion, and a wrap-around hyoid bone that together prevent brain injury.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Woodlands and parks
Diet
Omnivore
Lifespan
5-10 years
Threats
- Wildfire
- Habitat Fragmentation