Black Woodpecker: distribution and range

Black Woodpecker is a widely distributed species. Its range stretches across the cooler temperate regions of the Palearctic, in a zone falling roughly between 62 and 69 degrees north. It is not uncommon locally from Spain, France and the Low Countries in the west, to Italy and Greece to the south, as far as the Arctic Circle in the north and eastwards through the taiga belt into Asia. The nominate martius race occurs over most of this vast area. In Europe Black Woodpeckers occur in suitable habitat from sea level to the timberline in the Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathians. Black Woodpeckers breed in 33 European countries, being absent only from Portugal (seen but no confirmed breeding), Iceland, Britain and Ireland. Populations are found on the island of Kefallinia, Greece, and they used to breed on Sicily. In the Baltic Sea they are resident on Gotland, Aland, Bornholm and some other islands. All in all, the range of this magnificent bird has increased in recent years.