The Great Spotted Woodpecker

The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a bird belonging to the woodpeckers family (Picidae). It is a numerous and widespread bird in a large part of the Palearctic region. Here he breeds in forests and all kinds of cultural landscapes. The great spotted woodpecker searches for its food in almost all vegetation layers. In the summer it mainly feeds on insects and other invertebrates, especially in the winter with vegetable food, such as seeds of coniferous trees.

the great spotted woodpecker is a relatively small species of woodpecker

Contrary to what his name suggests, the great spotted woodpecker is a relatively small species of woodpecker. An adult specimen is usually 20 to 24 centimeters and weighs 60 to 110 grams. The wing span is 34 to 39 centimeters. [2]
The female (left) does not have a red neck spot in contrast to the male (right)

The wings have large, oval-shaped white shoulder stains at the top

The plumage is predominantly black at the top and white at the bottom, with the exception of the red anal area. Some subspecies also have some red on the chest. The wings have large, oval-shaped white shoulder stains at the top. The flight feathers have five or six white spots arranged so that they form white bands on the wings. The three pairs of outer tail feathers are banded and clearly visible when the tail is spread. As with most woodpeckers, the tail feathers are rigid and serve as extra support during climbing. The head is predominantly white on the sides and the throat. From the beak the black beard streaks through into a whimsical Z-shaped black spot, which runs down to the chest and back to the neck. The forehead and the part around the eyes is white, the crown is black. Like most European woodpeckers, the great spotted woodpecker is sexually dimorphic and the sexes are mainly recognizable by the head drawing. The male has a red spot in the neck, while the female has a completely black crown.

The gray skin on the legs is remarkably thick

The iris is colored reddish-brown. The beak is gray and has fine feathers around the nostrils to prevent the inhalation of fine sawdust. The toes with powerful claws are placed like many woodpeckers zygodactyl: two toes are forward and two are directed backwards. The gray skin on the legs is remarkably thick, as protection against insect bites.
The juvenile can be confused with a middle spotted woodpecker

Juveniles look a lot like the middle spotted woodpecker

Both male and female juveniles have a large red crown spot and a pink anal area. Because of this they resemble the middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius), although it does not have black in the cross-pattern. The shoulder patches of a juvenile are often still being changed.