Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Europe's most common woodpecker, drumming on dead wood like it's on a deadline. Reliable courier with a percussion problem.

Population: Roughly 73-111 million mature individuals globally (about 35% in Europe); IUCN-assessed trend is increasing
Habitat: Broadleaf, coniferous, and mixed woodlands, plus parks, gardens, hedgerows, and olive groves; from sea level up to about 2,500 m in Central Asia
Fun fact: Rather than singing, Great Spotted Woodpeckers communicate territory and attract mates by drumming their bill against resonant dead wood in rapid one-second bursts of roughly 10-16 strikes per second, the fastest drumming rate of any woodpecker in its range.
Range: Across Eurasia from Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula east to Japan and Kamchatka, and in North Africa from Morocco to Tunisia; naturally recolonized Ireland after centuries of extirpation, with first proven nesting in County Down in 2007 and range expansion to nearly all Irish counties by 2021
Diet: Omnivorous: excavates beetle larvae and other wood-boring insects from bark and dead wood, also eats ants, spiders, seeds, nuts and berries, and will raid other cavity-nesting birds' nests for eggs and nestlings
Size: 0.22 m
Wingspan: 0.365 m
Lifespan: 11 years

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