How do you distinguish male and female Great Spotted Woodpeckers, how do you distinguish them from other woodpeckers and how do you recognize a Great Spotted Woodpecker hole? We answer all your questions about the conspicuous garden visitor here in our large profile.
The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is our most common native woodpecker. Its black and white plumage with red color elements makes it a very conspicuous guest - just like its piercing drumming, which sounds early in the year. Although the great spotted woodpecker can also often be observed in the garden, it prefers richly structured and lively forests with young and old trees and plenty of insects. Unfortunately, this is a critically endangered habitat that is steadily declining due to increasing intensification and expansion of monotonous forests. In order to draw attention to this loss, which not only deprives the Great Spotted Woodpecker but also many other species of their livelihood, the Great Spotted Woodpecker was named "Bird of the Year" in 1997. You can find more exciting information about the appearance and behavior of the spotted woodpecker in our large spotted woodpecker profile.
Great Spotted Woodpecker: Profile
| Size | About 20 - 24 cm |
| Weight | About 80 - 100 g |
| Incubation | April - May |
| Lifetime | Up to 10 years |
| Habitat | Forests, parks and gardens |
| Food Preference | Insects and insect larvae, tree seeds, eggs and young birds |
| Threats | Reduction in natural, structurally rich forests |
How do you recognize the great spotted woodpecker?
You can recognize the adult great spotted woodpecker by its typical three-colored plumage. The back and crown of the head are colored black, while the cheeks and chest are bright and rich in contrast. The shoulders are pure white and the black wings are banded with white. The back of the abdomen under the tail is colored bright red, but the color only extends behind the legs. Noticeableare also the long, pointed beak and the black face stripe, which is also called reins. Like all woodpeckers, the great spotted woodpecker can also be recognized in flight by its typical wavy pattern.
There are three other black, white and red native woodpecker species, but they are much rarer. Despite the great similarities, the great spotted woodpecker stands out from all of them with its unicolored, light-colored front abdomen, which is dashed in the other species with dark spots.
How can you tell the difference between male and female Great Spotted Woodpeckers?
Great spotted woodpecker males and females are mostly the same colour. The only - but clear - distinguishing feature is the red nape patch on the male, which is absent on the female specimen.
What does the song of the great spotted woodpecker sound like?
In fact, the great spotted woodpecker does not have a real song. Instead, males use a short, rapid drum roll to mark their territory or to court a mate in spring. The beak is used to drum on melodious, dead branches, which the great spotted woodpecker looks for especially for this purpose. Different instruments are often tried out first until the woodpecker has found the best sound.
The drumming of the great spotted woodpecker sounds like this:
In addition to drumming, the great spotted woodpecker also has a very characteristic call that sounds like a metallic "kix". If there is excitement, the call is also given in a quick row: "Kix-kix-kix-kix.kix". The call can also be heard all year round, even in winter. The drum rolls, on the other hand, are only played in the spring and fade away as soon as the search for a partner is complete.
You can listen to the great spotted woodpecker call here:
How do you recognize the young Great Spotted Woodpecker?
A young great spotted woodpecker is already clearly recognizable as such, because it already has the typical black and white markings on its feathers. In contrast to the adult specimens, however, its crown is colored red, but the red color of the hind abdomen is not as intense as that of its parents.
Due to these characteristics, young Great Spotted Woodpeckers look even more similar to other species such as Central and Lesser Woodpeckers. But here, too, the whitish, unmarked front abdomen is a clear spotted woodpecker criterion.
How do you recognize the eggs?
The eggs of the great spotted woodpecker are about 2.7 by 2 centimeters in size and colored pure white. The female lays between four and seven eggs per clutch, which are then incubated alternately by both parents. Great spotted woodpeckers don't use any nesting material apart from some wood debris that accumulates when carving the burrow.
Which habitat does the great spotted woodpecker prefer?
Of course, great spotted woodpeckers prefer structurally rich forests with lots of old and dead wood. They use both deciduous and coniferous forests. With the increasing decline of this habitat, the great spotted woodpecker has also spread into man-made habitats and has been quite successful. He is a frequent guest in parks and gardens of all kinds.
Where does the great spotted woodpecker build its nest?
The great spotted woodpecker uses old and no longer he althy trees to build its nest. It builds a hole for itself with the help of its pointed beak and forms an oval entrance hole with a diameter of 5 to 6 centimeters by constantly tapping it. The burrow is placed at a height of two to ten meters and positioned carefully - the great spotted woodpecker often starts by building several burrows before completing one of them. Old burrows are rarely reused, but are used by other bird species in subsequent years.
Note: By the way, the brain of the great spotted woodpecker is well cushioned by built-in "shock absorbers" and a lot of brain fluid, so that it is not damaged by the tapping movement.
When do great spotted woodpeckers breed?
After laying the eggs, the clutch is incubated for 11 to 13 days before the young great spotted woodpeckers hatch. The breeding season extends from April to May. The young birds are then fed in the nest for three to four weeks before they fledge. During this time, the young woodpeckers beg loudly: "Wi-wi-wi-wi-wi". You can often discover nests in parks or gardens and then watch the parents feeding them.
What does the great spotted woodpecker do in winter?
The great spotted woodpecker can be observed as a resident bird all year round in Germany. During this time, it feeds mainly on leftover berries and tree seeds such as spruce or pine cones. Males and females live in separate territories during the winter, but in the spring, breeding pairs from the previous year often reunite and can remain faithful to each other for up to three years.
Support the great spotted woodpecker: How it works
Who the great spotted woodpeckerIf you would like to offer a suitable habitat in your own garden, you will find practical tips on feeding, nesting boxes and other support options here.
What does the great spotted woodpecker eat?
Great spotted woodpeckers feed mainly on insects and their larvae, which they either collect with their sticky tongue or spear with their pointed beak. They also use spruce or pine cones, which they clamp in bark gaps - so-called woodpeckers - to pick out the seeds. During the breeding season, the great spotted woodpecker also becomes a nest robber and often steals eggs or young birds from their nests. In winter, the colorful woodpeckers also like to visit bird feeders, preferring fatty food mixtures and nuts, such as hazelnuts or peanuts. Our Plantura sunflower seeds for wild birds are also very popular, which are particularly easy for the birds to eat without the shell and have also been enriched with valuable vitamins, iodine and honey.
Tip: With our practical instructions you can easily build a bird feeder yourself. The feeding station not only supports the hungry birds in winter, but also offers a wonderful introduction to bird watching.
Which nest boxes are suitable?
Great spotted woodpeckers only very rarely accept nesting boxes, because they prefer to put their hands - or beaks - in and usually carve their own holes only has a small entry hole. The ideal hole size is 6 centimetres, but the great spotted woodpecker also hammers out smaller holes. Occasionally, nest boxes are simply used by woodpeckers as a place to sleep.
How can one additionally support spotted woodpeckers?
The ideal great spotted woodpecker habitat with many old and rotten trees can probably be realized in very few gardens. But you can also try to support the colorful woodpecker on a small scale. In addition to the additional feeding in winter, you can ensure a natural, rich supply of food in summer - for example by creating a beneficial insect meadow that will attract numerous insects and thus hungry birds to your garden. With our Plantura beneficial insect magnet you can create a paradise for small garden visitors and bring new life into your home.
On hot days, great spotted woodpeckers are also happy about a bird bath in the garden, which can consist of a flat bowl or a trivet. With this you supportalso many other birds, for example wren or goldfinch.