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;[[:Category:Dendrocopos|Dendrocopos]] major | ;[[:Category:Dendrocopos|Dendrocopos]] major | ||
| − | [[Image:Great_Spotted_Woodpecker.jpg|thumb| | + | [[Image:Great_Spotted_Woodpecker_male.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Clive Watson<br>Photographed: Location: Surrey, [[England]] ]] |
| + | [[Image:Great_Spotted_Woodpecker.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Juvenile. Photo by Andy Bright<br>Photographed: Hertfordshire, [[England]]]] | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
Revision as of 08:26, 8 November 2008
- Dendrocopos major
Identification
L. 23-26 cm
Ws. 38-44 cm
- Glossy black upper parts
- White on the sides of face and neck
- Large white shoulder patch
- Barred black and white flight feathers
- Three outer tail feathers barred
- Buffish white under parts
- Crimson abdomen and undertail coverts
- Slate black bill
- Greenish grey legs
Male
Crimson spot on nape
Female
No crimson on nape
Immature
Nape spot is absent, but crown is crimson
Similar Species
Similar to the the smaller Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Distribution
One of the most widespread and abundant of the spotted woodpeckers, breeds throughout Britain, most of Scandinavia except the far north and the highest mountains, throughout Europe from Iberia (although scarce in southern Spain) to northern Greece and east to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Japan, Korea and China. Also breeds on the Canary Islands, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily and isolated populations in the Caucasus and in parts of southern Greece and northern Turkey, in Morocco and northern parts of Algeria and Tunisia. Further east the southern limits of range are reached in north-east India, Vietnam and Hainan.
Resident throughout range but may be irruptive in the north.
Vagrants recorded in Iceland, the Faroes and Ireland.
Taxonomy
About 14 races are recognised differing slightly in overall size, bill size and colour of underparts. However there is much intergradation in mainland races and also variation within races. Typically northern races are larger with shorter, stouter bills and whiter underparts. North African races mauritanus and numidus are cream below with a bold chest band, black at the sides and red in the centre. Two Canarian races, canariensis from Tenerife, creamy-buff below and thanneri from Gran Canaria more greyish.
Habitat
Deciduous, coniferous or preferably mixed woodland and forest, parks and orchards, sometimes, especially in winter, in large gardens.
Behaviour
The drumming sound is made by the male, using a dead dry tree that generates a good volume, to attract a female. The sound can travel over hundreds of metres in favourable conditions. Feeding uses a much less rapid pecking action and the quieter sound generated can only be heard at close quarters.
Diet
Although the diet usually consists of insects and their larvae, woodpeckers are not averse to preying on young birds in the nest and will smash their way into nest boxes to do this. In areas where woodpeckers are known to be active, a protective sheet of metal may be fitted to the entrance of the box.
Voice
<flashmp3>Dendrocopos major (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
