Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) in Schaijk, Netherlands
Photo taken on 10 May 2025.
The great spotted woodpecker is one of the best known and most widespread woodpeckers in the Netherlands. With its black and white plumage and bright red accents, it is not only beautiful to see, but also easily recognised by its sound: the rapid, rattling "drumbeat" on tree trunks that it uses to mark its territory.
This medium-sized woodpecker is about 23 centimetres long. Males have a red spot on the back head, females lack it. Both sexes have a red undertail and prominent white shoulder patches that stand out clearly against the black plumage.
The 10 May 2025 photo shows the woodpecker in its breeding season, when it is often active in carving out a nest cavity in a tree. This is usually done in a dead or soft trunk, where the male chisels out a deep cavity with great precision.
The great spotted woodpecker mainly eats insect larvae that it gleans from tree bark, but in winter it switches to seeds and nuts. With its powerful beak and tongue of up to four centimetres long, it manages to reach deeply hidden food.
A regular inhabitant of forests, parks and large gardens - and with a little patience and good listening, often easy to spot. A true classic among Dutch birds.
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