Great Spotted Woodpecker

woodpecker · tree-hugger · drumming master · Europe

Bold black and white. Great spotted woodpeckers are medium-sized birds with striking pied black and white plumage, plus a distinctive red patch on their lower belly that makes them easy to spot.

Super loud drumming. These woodpeckers drum rapidly on tree bark to talk to each other and claim their territory, and their special skull bones and muscles protect their brains from the intense hammering.

Expert tree chiselers. They use their strong beaks to chisel into tree bark and wood to find insects hidden inside, and they also carve out their own cozy nest holes in trees.

Tough northern survivors. While most great spotted woodpeckers stay in the same place year-round, those living far north will sometimes travel south if there aren't enough pine cones for food that winter.

Unexpected wanderers. Some individuals are natural explorers and wander far beyond their usual range, which is how they've recently returned to Ireland and even occasionally shown up in North America.