The Great spotted woodpecker is the most common of only three species of woodpecker in the UK, the other two being the Lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor) and the Green woodpecker (Picus viridus).It is present all year round, apart from in extreme northern parts of Scotland, and is famed for its rapid drumming on the sides of trees. Great spotted woodpecker definition is - a common European and Asiatic woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) having a black back, white shoulder patches, crimson under tail coverts, and in the male a crimson patch on the nape. It’s thought the species may have benefited from an increase in dead wood caused by Dutch elm disease, as well as the availability of food in gardens.
Great spotted woodpecker. Just two species of spotted woodpeckers can be found in the British Isles: the great (not greater) and lesser.
The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a medium-sized woodpecker with black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly.
On the Continent three similar species can also be found: middle spotted, white-backed and Syrian.
The lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor) is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae.
The range of the lesser spotted woodpecker is the Palearctic region, but several subspecies are recognised. Great spotted woodpeckers can be seen in woodlands, especially with mature broad-leaved trees, although mature conifers will support them. The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a pied woodpecker: black with a large white shoulder patch and scarlet underneath the tail. They will come to peanut feeders and bird tables.
They lay a single brood of 4 to 7 glossy white eggs, which they incubate for 10-13 days and chicks will fledge after 18 days. It was formerly assigned to the genus Dendrocopos (sometimes incorrectly spelt as Dendrocopus).Some taxonomic authorities continue to list the species there. They can also be found in parks and large gardens. This species is found across Eurasia and parts of North Africa.It is usually resident, but in the north some migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Not found in the far North of Scotland. One of the main characteristics is the red underneath the tail.
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major There are just two black and white woodpeckers to be found in Britain, so identification is relatively straightforward. It is one of the most widespread birds seen on the continent. The great is the most numerous and widely distributed woodpecker in Europe, and can be found from southern Spain to northern Scandinavia. Great spotted woodpeckers nest in old trees, excavating a hole using their strong bills and lining the nest with wood chips. The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a common woodpecker seen throughout Eurasia. The Great spotted woodpecker is the most common of only three species of woodpecker in the UK, the other two being the Lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor) and the Green woodpecker (Picus viridus).It is present all year round, apart from in extreme northern parts of Scotland, and is famed for its rapid drumming on the sides of trees.
Great spotted woodpecker photographed by David Chapman 1 Of the three species of woodpecker found in Britain, the great spotted is the most likely to be seen in our gardens at any time of the year but during February it isn’t the sight of one which is most appealing, but the sound.
Other articles where Great spotted woodpecker is discussed: woodpecker: …of temperate North America; the great spotted woodpecker (D. major), about 23 cm (9 inches) long and found from the forests and gardens of western temperate Eurasia south to North Africa; and the hairy woodpecker (D. villosus), which is 20–25 cm (8–9.8 inches) long and found in temperate North America.
Great spotted woodpecker. This is only one of two woodpeckers that have been vagrants to North America and the Eurasian Wryneck being the second woodpecker. It is much larger than the other British pied woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.The Great Spotted Woodpecker is about the size of a Starling, while the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is more sparrow-sized.
Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This is not found on the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. The great spotted woodpecker population is doing well and has increased by more than 300% since the 1970s.