White-backed Woodpecker: winter feeding site

In winter woodpecker feeding sites are often easier to locate than in other seasons. Not in the least because of the lack of foliage on trees, but also because wood chips and other debris is easier to spot on snow-covered ground. This photo shows a typical winter feeding site of White backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos. A thin, rotting tree has been worked extensively to expose the wintering quarters of wood-boring beetles and other invertebrates. The tree is worked carefully and systematically for days, being shaving and chiselled rather than bored deeply into or hacked apart. The rucksack at the base of the tree gives an indication of how slim the tree is. This photo was taken by Romuald Mikusek in the Biebrza National Park, north-east Poland.

Black Woodpecker: winter feeding site

This photo is of a Black Woodpecker feeding site in a parkland on the edge of Budapest (taken by Szabolcs Kokay). In winter Black Woodpeckers (and indeed most woodpeckers) will rove locally to search for foraging sites. That is, they will feed in areas where they do not breed, or even visit, in the breeding season. Note the size of the wood chips on the ground beneath the tree. In Europe, only Black Woodpeckers leave debris of this size after hacking into timber.

Tongues

Woodpeckers have extensible tongues. In some species they are even prehensile. There are two basic types of woodpecker tongue: those with pointed tips and those with blunt, rounded tips. Pointed tongues are used to impale prey, rounded tongues are covered in a sticky substance and are used to lap up prey. We might say the first feeding method uses a spear, the second a gluey lasso. Tongues are also barbed but this varies between species. As a rule the more arboreal species (such as the Dendrocopos species) have more barbs on their tongues than the more terrestrial species (Picus species). Tongue length varies between species, too, and is also related to feeding methods. Species that specialise in eating ants tend to have longer tongues than those that feed on wood-dwelling beetles. In Europe the two Picus species, Green and Grey-headed (Grey-faced) Woodpeckers have the longest tongues. These long tongues are retracted and stored (in a loop) in a cavity around the skull and fixed near the nostril or eye-socket. This fantastic photo of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, with tongue protruding, was taken in Hungary by Laszlo Nehezy.

Middle Spotted Woodpecker: Voice

Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius has a reportoire of calls, many quite unlike those made by its relatives. There is a distinct and diagnostic song made mostly, but not only, by males which is quite unlike those of any other European woodpecker. It is made throughout the breeding period but particularly just before laying, and occasionally in autumn and winter. It is usually composed of 4-10 slow-paced notes, though sometimes over 30 are made in a series and can perhaps be described as "kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah" or "kvar-kvar-kvar-kvar" or "gwarh-gwarh-gwarh-gwarh" or "gwaar-gwaar-gwaar-gwaar". It is a cat-like, meowing, whining, nasal, almost painful sounding "song" and is surprisingly far carrying. When establishing territory, courting or excited or annoyed, birds make this same song in a more rapid and strident manner. Sometimes just a single note or two is uttered. There is also a fair degree of individual variation. There is also a series of a rattling "ge-ge-ge-ge-ge" or "kik-kik-kik-kik-kik" notes, which to my ear recall a young Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus begging for food. THis is sometimes more like "kvek-kvek-kvek-kvek" and perhaps recalls some shorebirds, too. There is a slow but hysterical edge to this call and it is often uttered in a series, starting higher-pitched than it finishes, something like "kik-kik-kuk-kuk-kuk". There is a also a rattling call, a bit like that a call that Mistle Thrush Turdus vicivorus makes. These rattling calls may be contact calls and are made all year round. Though there is a typical single Dendrocopos "kik" or "kyk" call, softer than a similar call made by Great Spotted Woodpecker, most like Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, it is often rather feeble and not regularly made. A short, sharp "tek" or "teuk", again similar to other "pied" woodpeckers but lower pitched. Sometimes a Syrian Woodpecker-like "gug" is made, repeated and perhaps recalling Great Spotted Woodpecker but softer and lower pitched. Finally, there is a series of quiet, soft appeasement calls made between adults and recently fledged juveniles. Soon after fledging juveniles start to call like adults.

Grey-headed Woodpecker: voice

The most typical vocalisation of Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus is a song of some 6-10 fairly musical fluty notes “poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo” or “pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew” or “pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu”. Sometimes a slightly harsher beginning, perhaps like “koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo”. This call is made by both sexes though females usually make a shorter version. This call is sometimes a more whistle-like “kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee”, descending in pitch, at varied speeds, perhaps “kii-kii-ki-kuu-kuu-kuu". The classic version slows down to a lower pitched dribble after fast start. This “song” is quite easy to imitate and even a poor imitation can attract unpaired or particularly territorial birds. Alarm calls include a croaky, harsh kind of “yaffle”, not unlike that of Green Woodpecker but more of a panicking cackle than a laugh. A Great Spotted-like “kvik” or “kik” is often made briefly in flight. Other calls made when excited include a short, sharp “kuk” or “kook” sometimes in series “kuk-kuk-kuk” and “djack” or “kjak”. When Grey-headeds are excited or nervous they also make a gentle, soft “wee-wee-wee” and a gentle “chuck, chuck, chuck”. During courtship display males call “witty-witty-witty” in series whilst swaying and pointing the bill upwards. In addition, a gentle whinnying sound is made by birds at nest.

Quiz woodpecker 12

Which species is this ? And race ? And gender ?

Black Woodpecker: distribution

Black Woodpecker is a widely distributed species in the Palearctic region. It is a resident, sedentary species which ranges across the cooler temperate regions of the Palearctic, in a zone falling roughly between 62 and 69 degrees north. Black Woodpeckers are 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 occurs over most of this vast area. In Europe Black Woodpeckers occur in suitable habitat from sea level to the timberline in uplands, breeding in 33 European countries, being absent only from Portugal (seen but no confirmed breeding), Iceland and Britain and Ireland. The species is also found on the island of Kefallinia, Greece, and used to breed on Sicily. In the Baltic Sea they are resident on Gotland, Aland, Bornholm and other islands.