Gallery: Male Black Woodpecker

Male Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius arriving at the nest-hole. Photo by Yann Cambon taken in the Connezac district, Dordogne, France.

Gallery: Black Woodpecker male

Male Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius at its nesting cavity. Male has all-red crown, female red only on rear-crown. Photo taken in Hungary by Laszlo Becsy.

Gallery: Green Woodpecker male

Male Green Woodpecker Picus viridis. Hertfordshire, UK, photo by Dave Attrill.

Feeding Sign: White-backed Woodpecker

Feeding evidence of White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos. Such fine, shallow shaving on standing dead trees or stumps is typically done by this species in winter. Photo taken in Slovakia by Gerard Gorman. 

Recommended Reading: HBW Volume 7.

Volume 7 of Handbook of the Birds of the World (Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 2002) covers Jacamars to Woodpeckers, with 260 pages devoted to the Picidae. These pages, authored by Hans Winkler and David Christie, are an essential reference for all who are interested in woodpeckers. With both authors being European, the 10 European species are expertly presented.

Gallery: Syrian Woodpecker male

Male Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus. Photo taken in Gühlane Park, Istanbul, Turkey, Feb 2012, by Bill Benish.

Gallery: Syrian Woodpecker on utility-pole

Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus is often found in and around settlements. Photo taken in Abaujker, Hungary, 2011, by Gerard Gorman.