The Great Spotted Woodpecker Forest Drummer

Clinging vertically to the rough bark of a tree trunk is the unmistakable Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), a resident…

Clinging vertically to the rough bark of a tree trunk is the unmistakable Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), a resident species across much of the Palearctic. This specimen displays the classic black and white plumage pattern a clean white breast and belly, and a prominent white patch on the shoulder that contrasts sharply with the glossy black back. The head is marked by a clear black crown and a strong black line extending from the beak to the back of the head. This individual is a female, identified by the absence of a red patch on the nape (though the red under the tail is a common feature). Its stiff tail feathers and zygodactyl feet, with two toes forward and two back, are perfectly adapted for clinging to and ascending tree trunks as it forages for wood-boring insects.