[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]In late winter and early spring male great spotted woodpeckers are out head-banging. You'll notice them especially in the early morning as they beat out a repetitive "rat-a-tat-tat" sound on a dead branch or tree trunk with their beaks.
This beak bashing is drummed out at around 15 beats per second. It's a kind of woodpecker 'Morse code' only much faster. The noise is telling other male woodpeckers to clear off, this is his space, and only interested female woodpeckers should approach
Scientific name: Dendrocopus major
Size: Approx 25cm
Distribution: Found in England, Scotland and Wales
Months seen: All year round
Habitat: Woodlands, parks and gardens
Food: Invertebrates, seeds and nuts
Special features: Great spotted woodpeckers are the UK's most common species of woodpecker. They're sometimes called 'pied woodpeckers' because of their black and white colouring.
Both the male and female birds have a vivid red patch under the tail, but only the males have a red patch at the back of the neck. Juvenile birds have a red patch on top of their heads.
In late winter and early spring great spotted woodpeckers are very audible, as the males perform their annual territorial drumming solo. This is to tell other males to keep out of their patch of the woods.
Great spotted woodpeckers make their nests by chiseling out a hole in a tree trunk with their beaks. Their strengthened skulls help to cushion the blows. The female lays up to seven eggs, which are all white in colour.
Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:04 pm
