Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

The Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is our most common and most recognizable species of woodpecker, which hikers in the hills often spot climbing tree trunks or hear its characteristic drumming first. It is recognized by its contrasting black-and-white plumage with two large white patches on the shoulders and a bright red lower rump. Males have an additional red patch on the nape, while females are entirely black-and-white on the head. It grows to a length of 26 centimetres and is superbly adapted to life in trees, where it aids its climbing with strong legs and stiff tail feathers that serve as stable support.
In the mountainous world, it plays an important role as a forest carpenter, as it usually excavates a new hollow in the trunk every year, and the abandoned dwellings are later used by numerous other birds and small animals. Its diet is extremely varied, as in summer it uses its strong bill to drill into wood for insect larvae, while in winter it gladly feeds on conifer seeds, which it skilfully extracts from cones in its forges. The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a staple of our forests and with its tireless work and recognizable calls always enlivens a trip into nature anew. Although it is relatively cautious, it can often be observed along mountain paths skilfully darting around the trunk to the safe side when it senses human proximity.