15 |
![]() |
Great Spotted Woodpecker![]() Size: 22-23 cm; wing span: 34-39 cm Weight: 60-90 g |
![]() |
Similar |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Race "major"
![]() |
ADULT |
![]() |
MALE |
Distant near-frontal view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2013]
Frontal/ventral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Distant lateral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2017]
Lateral/ventral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
Lateral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker foraging for
wood-boring grubs; note the characteristic crimson spot on the
nape of the neck (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Lateral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Lateral/ventral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]
Dorsal view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Dorsal view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]
Dorsal/ventral view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
![]() |
FEMALE |
Near-lateral/ventral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2019]
Near-lateral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker;
note the black back of the head
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2019]
Lateral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Lateral/ventral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2019]
Lateral/ventral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, April 2021]
Lateral/ventral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Dorsal view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2019]
Dorsal view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
Race "pinetorum?"
![]() |
ADULT |
![]() |
FEMALE |
Lateral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Budapest, Hungary, March 2019]
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Mar - July | Eggs: 4 - 6 | Incubation period: 10 - 12 days | Fledging age: 20 - 23 days |
The breeding season depends on geographic latitude.
Nest building: Male & female | Incubation: Male & female | Dependent care: Male & female |
![]() |
Nest |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: Unlined or wood chips | Height above ground: 0.3 - 8 m |
View into the nest hollow of a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2014]
![]() |
Eggs |
Size: 27 x 20 mm | Colour: Glossy white | Shape: Elliptical |
![]() |
Behaviour |
Female Great Spotted Woodpecker doing what woodpeckers do,
sending wood chips flying (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Saint Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Great Spotted Woodpeckers feed primarily on wood-boring grubs.
Lateral view of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker taking a grub
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, Ponte de Sor, Evora, Portugal, October 2021]
![]() |
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.
gswoodp_dw_20160806.m4a | major (Poland) | Contact calls? (male) | © DW | |
gswoodp_dw_20160806_2.m4a | major (Poland) | Contact calls? (Q&A) | © DW | |
gswoodp_dw_20190428.m4a | major (Poland) | Contact calls? (female) | © DW | |
gswoodp_jp_20201030.m4a | hispanus (Portugal) | Contact calls? | © JP | |
gswoodp_jp_20200824.m4a | hispanus (Portugal) | ? | © JP | |
gswoodp_jp_20190606.m4a | hispanus (Portugal) | Pecking | © JP | |
gswoodp_jp_20190606_2.m4a | hispanus (Portugal) | Pecking (+ other species) | © JP |
More Great Spotted Woodpecker sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.