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Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) German name(s): "Schwarzspecht" Size: 45-55 cm; wing span: 64-84 cm Body mass: 250-400 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.35-0.46

Europe: Family Group 15 Family Group 15 Table Hoopoe Eurasian Wryneck Eurasian Treecreeper Short-toed Treecreeper Wallcreeper Black Woodpecker European Green Woodpecker Grey-headed Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Syrian Woodpecker Middle Spotted Woodpecker Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Black Woodpeckers are large woodpeckers, with an all-black plumage, except for a red cap. The sexes are almost identical, the only difference being that males have an all-red cap, whereas females are red only at the back of the head. The irises of both sexes are light-grey. The straight, pointy bill is horn-coloured to light-grey, with a grey tip. Legs and feet are grey. Like all other treecreepers and related species they have long toes, of which two are pointing forward and two backward.

Taxonomy, classification See Black Woodpecker at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Black Woodpecker is available HERE . Black Woodpeckers are sedentary throughout their range. The overall range extends from northern Iberia in the West to Japan in the East. They are found in most of central, northern, eastern and south-eastern Europe and Scandinavia, throughout much of mid- to high-latitude Asia (but not in the region from eastern Ukraine to all of Kazakhstan), up to northern Asia Minor, the Caucasus mountain range, northern Iran, southern China and Korea in the South. In Europe Black Woodpeckers are found as permanent residents from northern Iberia, via all of central Europe and most of Scandinavia (except the highest mountain ranges) into eastern and most of south-eastern Euope. They are not found in most Mediterranean Europe, except a population in south-western Italy. They are also absent from the Adriatic coastline and the northern coastline of the Black Sea. Except for a few locations along the lower Danube, they are not found in the majority of the Danube River valley (e.g. in the Hungarian Puszta and parts of Romania). Black Woodpeckers have a preference for mature forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information A Black Woodpecker was caught, ringed and photographed by S. Cuturilov in Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, in October 2017. Another was spotted by A. Sarok in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. D. Wilczynska reports hearing a Black Woodpecker near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, in April 2018. Another was found near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, in July 2018. G. Normand found a Black Woodpecker in Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, France, in March 2021.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
There is only one difference between male and female Black Woodpecker: The male, on the left, has a complete red cap; the female's red cap is restricted to the back of the head.

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Black Woodpecker - note the all-red cap (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, October 2017]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Black Woodpecker - note the small red cap at the back of the head (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2018]

Lateral view of a female Black Woodpecker (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2018]

Lateral view of a female Black Woodpecker (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Black Woodpecker (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, France, March 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Black Woodpecker (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, France, March 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Black Woodpecker (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, France, March 2021]

Dorsal view of a female Black Woodpecker (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, France, March 2021]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - July

Eggs: 4 - 6

Incubation period: 12 - 14 days

Fledging age: 18 - 35 days

The breeding season, if defined by when pair formation starts, begins as early as mid-January. Legs are laid between mid-March and mid-May. The incubation period is very short for a species of their size, while the fledging age is either very variable or ill-determined.

The clutch size can vary from 2 to 8 eggs, although 4-6 eggs are most common.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Hollow

Material: Tree

Height above ground: 3 - 27 m

Near-dorsal view of a male Black Woodpecker near the entrance to its nest hollow (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Eggs

Size: 33 x 25 mm

Colour: Creamy white

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

blwoodp_dw_20210828.m4a	(Poland)	Territorial calls(?)	© DW
blwoodp_dw_20180430.m4a	(Poland)	Territorial calls(?), with Common Blackbird	© DW

More Black Woodpecker sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.