Friday 7 September 2007

Black Woodpecker: adult female ID

Below: Adult female, Crisan, Danube Delta, Romania (Daniel Petrescu). Females are similar to males but the red on the head is restricted to the hind-crown and pointed in shape at the rear. The rest of the crown black. The red is sometimes minimal and when worn often flecked with grey feathers. It is not as glossy black as on the male and can be rather matt and brownish. Bill is slightly shorter than on male but this hard to judge in the field.

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