Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Great Spotted Woodpeckers are black-and-white woodland birds found across Eurasia and parts of North Africa. They are only rare visitors to the United States. A red patch below the tail and broad white shoulder patches help distinguish them from familiar North American woodpeckers.

Appearance

Appearance: This black-and-white woodpecker has a red patch under the tail. Males have a red patch on the back of the head, while juveniles have a red crown.
Voice: Listen for a sharp call and a fast burst of that lasts about a second.

Look-alikes

Hairy WoodpeckerDryobates villosus

Hairy Woodpeckers have a long white stripe down the center of the back and a pale lower belly. Great Spotted Woodpeckers have two large white shoulder patches and red below the tail.

Why they get mixed upBoth are black-and-white woodpeckers with red on some birds, and Hairy Woodpeckers occur in Alaska.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: deciduous woodland
mixed forest
parks and gardens with mature trees
Range: It lives from western Europe across northern Asia to Japan and in parts of North Africa. A few have reached Alaska and nearby North American islands.
Seasonal presence: Most populations are year-round residents, although northern birds may move when cone crops fail.

Behavior

Diet: It eats insects and larvae under bark, tree seeds, and occasionally eggs or nestlings of other birds.
Activity: It braces against trunks with stiff tail feathers and uses a strong bill and long tongue to reach food.

Life cycle

Nest: The pair excavates a cavity in a living or dead tree.
Clutch size: Usually 4–6 eggs
Incubation: Usually 14–16 days
Fledging: Usually about 20–24 days after hatching

Name and classification

About the name: Several regional are recognized across Eurasia and North Africa.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Drumming is a signal used for contact and territory, not a song made with the voice.
The bird sometimes wedges a cone into bark before hammering it open for seeds.

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