Great spotted woodpeckers are the most widespread and numerous woodpecker in the UK.

Subspecies
There are around 14 races.

Life span
About 10 years.

Statistics
Length: 22-23cm, Wingspan: 34-39cm, Weight 70-90g.

Physical description
This species is smaller than the green woodpecker but much larger than the lesser spotted woodpecker. They have pied plumage, with white shoulder patches standing out against a black back. There are red patches under the tail and on the vent, and they have a black crown and a black moustache which joins the crown. The male has a small red patch on the nape, and juveniles have a red crown, and pinkish underparts.

Distribution
Great spotted woodpeckers have a large range covering almost the entire Palearctic from Britain in the west to Japan in the east and reaching North Africa and the Canary Islands in the south-west. They are not found in Ireland or the far north of Scotland.

Habitat
They are found in all kind of woodland as well as parks and gardens.

Diet
They mainly feed on insects, especially beetles and their larvae, but they also feed on seeds and nuts. They sometimes take the eggs and chicks of hole-nesting birds.

Behaviour
They are not often seen on the ground, but are occasional visitors to bird tables. Great spotted woodpeckers are a resident species in the UK. They have an undulating flight. Great spotted woodpeckers search for food by working up tree trunks, sharply tapping the bark. They prise off fragments and extract food from crevices with the tip of their sticky tongue.

Reproduction
Typically, a new nest site (often in dead oak or birch trunk) is excavated every year by both sexes. The 4-7 white eggs are incubated for 10-13 days by both the male and female. The chicks fledge after 20-24 days and mature after a year. Great spotted woodpeckers have just one brood a year.

Conservation status
They are not listed by the IUCN.

Voice
They emit a loud 'kick kick' call. They also can be heard drumming on wood.