A Really Unique Photo

My friend Thomas Hochebner grabbed this shot of a female White-backed Woodpecker (bottom left) and a female Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (top) in the same tree, in Austria. Now these two species are arguably Europe's two most difficult woodpeckers to find and observe and finding them together like this is really special. I was able to get sound recordings of both of these birds. 

Gallery: Syrian Woodpecker

Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopus syriacus. On this shot the bird's sex is unclear as the nape cannot be seen (red in male, black in female). Apaj, Hungary, April 2012, Gerard Gorman.

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.