The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a medium sized woodpecker (20-24cm long) with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower body. Males and young birds also have a red patch on the head or neck area. The diet is quite varied, from pine cone seeds, insect larvae from tree trunks or eggs and chicks from other smaller birds. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees in search of food or when building a nest, they also use the drum noise they create as a form of communication and to warn other woodpeckers off there territory. During nesting season they will typically lay four to six glossy white eggs. Both parents share the tasks of incubation, feeding the chicks and keeping the nest tidy. They have an extensive distribution range, stretching from Europe, Central Asia and North Africa, they have also been found in Alaska North America.

1. Both male and female Great Spotted Woodpeckers drum on tree trunks,though the male will do this far more often.
2. Unlike songbirds, spotted woodpeckers do not sing. They drum with their beaks to mark territory and attract a mate. Interestingly each bird has a signature rhythm that is unique.
3. They can also be surprisingly aggresive when defending their chicks, instances have been recorded of them driving off Squirrels and larger birds.

• Length: 20-24cm
• Wingspan: 34-39cm
• Habitat: Broadleaf, coniferous and mixed woodland, parks, gardens and olive groves
• Diet: Insects and larvae, pine cone seeds and nuts. Occasionally eggs and chicks of other birds