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Everyone knows the typical knocking sound when a woodpecker searches for food on trees. You certainly know the great spotted woodpecker. We have compiled the characteristics of the ten native woodpeckers for you.

In a nutshell

  • Woodpeckers distributed worldwide
  • live singly or in pairs in forests
  • Drumming in spring as part of the courtship ritual
  • Woodpecker holes provide nesting opportunities for other animals
  • three subfamilies: woodpeckers, pygmy woodpeckers and wrynecks

Woodpeckers (Picidae)

With 28 genera and more than 200 species, woodpeckers are the most species-rich bird family within the order of the woodpeckers (Piciformes). They mostly live in trees.

Typical features are:

  • angular, solid chisel beak
  • long tongue that can be stretched out far
  • climbing feet
  • stiffened support tail

Their main food are insects, which they carve out of the tree bark with their powerful beak, but also seeds and nuts.

Their wave-like flight and hopping movement on the ground are striking. Most woodpeckers are cavity nesters. They carve out their tree hollows themselves with their beaks. Abandoned woodpecker hollows are often used by other forest animals after they have moved out. The far audible drum roll at the beginning of spring serves as a substitute for the courtship song and to demarcate the territory.

Woodpeckers are divided into subfamilies

  • Woodpeckers (Picinae)
  • Pygmy Woodpeckers (Picumninae)
  • Wrynecks (Jynginae)

The "real woodpeckers" known to us can be found almost everywhere in the world. They live mainly in semi-natural forests. Pygmy woodpeckers are found only in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and America. The smallest is the subfamily of wrynecks with two species.

We present the most important characteristics of domestic woodpeckers.

Blood Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus)

The blood woodpecker is confusingly similar to the great spotted woodpecker. In contrast to this, its rump is pink and the connection between the black beard stripe and the neck is missing. Bloodpeckers are less marked and have more white in their plumage.

  • Habitat: light deciduous forests, parks, gardens
  • Size: 23 centimeters
  • Weight: 83 grams
  • breeding season: May to July
  • hatchery: tree hollows
  • Breeding Duration: 11 days
  • clutch size: 3 to 6 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, bugs, fruits, nuts, berries
  • enemies: owls, martens
  • migratory bird: resident bird
  • Life expectancy: 8 years

Notice: Unlike the nuthatch, woodpeckers cannot walk down trees head first.

Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

The great spotted woodpecker is the best-known native woodpecker. The large white shoulder spots, the red rump, the black crown and the red nape spot in the male are striking.

  • Habitat: Deciduous and mixed forests, parks
  • Size: 23 centimeters
  • Weight: 80 grams
  • breeding season: April to June
  • hatchery: tree hollows
  • Breeding Duration: 14 days
  • clutch size: 4 to 6 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, beetles, seeds, nuts, berries
  • enemies: Eagle owl, sparrowhawk, hawk, marten
  • migratory bird: resident bird
  • Life expectancy: ten years

Three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus)

As its name suggests, the three-toed woodpecker does not have four toes like other woodpeckers, but only three. The birds appear very dark, their black plumage is banded white only on the back and belly. Male birds have a yellow crown. There are no red parts in the three-toed woodpecker.

  • Habitat: Coniferous forests with a lot of deadwood, mainly in mountainous regions
  • Size: 23 centimeters
  • Weight: 72 grams
  • breeding season: May to July
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 12 days
  • clutch size: 3 to 5 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, beetles
  • enemies: owls
  • migratory bird: Resident bird in Germany
  • Life expectancy: 8 years

Notice: In Germany, three-toed woodpeckers can only be observed in the mountainous regions of the Alps and the Bavarian Forest. They are rare but not very shy.

Gray Woodpecker (Picus canus)

A beautiful bird that can only be seen very rarely in Germany is the gray woodpecker. It is similar in color to the green woodpecker, but without a red crown. Gray woodpeckers have a gray head, light belly and face. Males of this species of woodpecker have a small red patch on their forehead.

  • Habitat: Light deciduous and mixed forests, alluvial forests, parks, meadow orchards
  • Size: 30 centimeters
  • Weight: 190 grams
  • breeding season: May to July
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 16 days
  • clutch size: 5 to 7 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, ants, bugs, seeds, berries
  • enemies: Hawk, hawk, sparrowhawk, owl, owl, raccoon
  • migratory bird: Resident bird in Germany
  • Life expectancy: 12 years

Notice: Gray woodpeckers are highly endangered in Germany.

Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

As the name suggests, the green woodpecker's back and tail are colored green. The rump is yellow-green. The red parting and the dark face are striking. The male's beard is red and the female's is black.

  • Habitat: Deciduous and mixed forests with old trees, parks, orchards
  • Size: 33 centimeters
  • Weight: 220 grams
  • breeding season: May to July
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 15 days
  • clutch size: 5 to 7 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, ants, bugs, seeds, berries
  • enemies: Hawk, hawk, sparrowhawk, owl, owl, raccoon
  • migratory bird: Resident bird in Germany
  • Life expectancy: ten years

Notice: Green woodpeckers can often be seen on the ground in search of their favorite food: ants and their larvae.

Lesser Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)

The lesser woodpecker is the smallest representative of the species with black and white feathers, along with the great spotted, middle and bloody woodpecker. Unlike the male, the female does not have a red top. The black back is banded with white in both. The underside is dashed. The rump is not red in the Lesser Woodpecker.

  • Habitat: Deciduous and mixed forests with lots of dead wood, meadow orchards
  • Size: 15 centimeters
  • Weight: 22 grams
  • breeding season: May to July
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 12 days
  • clutch size: 3 to 6 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, beetles, ants, snails
  • enemies: Falcons, owls, sparrowhawks, eagle owls, martens
  • migratory bird: Resident bird in Germany
  • Life expectancy: 8 years

Middle Woodpecker (Leiopicus medius)

The middle woodpecker prefers light oak and beech forests as a habitat. Its round head with the bright red top can be seen from afar. Its flanks are dashed and the undertail coverts are light red in colour. Males and females hardly differ.

  • Habitat: Deciduous and mixed forests with lots of deadwood
  • Size: 22 centimeters
  • Weight: 75 grams
  • breeding season: May to June
  • hatchery: tree hollows
  • Breeding Duration: 14 days
  • clutch size: 4 to 7 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, beetles, seeds
  • enemies: Hawks, owls, sparrowhawks, martens
  • migratory bird: resident bird
  • Life expectancy: ten years

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)

All black with a red crown and a very strong white bill, the black woodpecker is easy to spot. It is about the size of a crow, making it the largest native species of woodpecker. While the entire crown of the male is red, only the back of the head is red in the female.

  • Habitat: remote deciduous and mixed forests with large old trees
  • Size: 47 centimeters
  • Weight: 360 grams
  • breeding season: April to June
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 14 days
  • clutch size: 3 to 5 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, beetles, seeds, berries, nuts
  • enemies: Hawk, hawk, sparrowhawk, owl, owl, raccoon
  • migratory bird: Resident bird in Germany
  • Life expectancy: ten years

Notice: The drumming of the black woodpecker is so loud and powerful that it can be heard for miles.

White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)

The white-backed woodpecker is the largest of the black and white woodpecker species. It has a white back, a conspicuously dotted chest and a cap that is just as red as the middle spotted woodpecker. It is very rare to see the beautiful bird. He is shy and avoids inhabited areas. The white-backed woodpecker is on the Red List of Threatened Species.

  • habitat: remote forests with high deadwood content
  • Size: 28 centimeters
  • Weight: 110 grams
  • breeding season: May to July
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 15 days
  • clutch size: 3 to 5 eggs
  • Food: Insects, worms, larvae, beetles, seeds, berries, nuts
  • enemies: Tawny owl, hawk, sparrowhawk, eagle owl, owl
  • migratory bird: Resident bird in Germany
  • Life expectancy: 8 years

Notice: Because of the similarity, the white-backed woodpecker is also known as the magpie woodpecker.

Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)

The Wryneck differs in appearance and behavior from the other species of woodpecker. Its plumage is grey-brown in colour. In flight you can see a dark brown band on the back. The underside is light brown.

  • Habitat: Vineyards, parks, gardens, meadow orchards
  • Size: 17 centimeters
  • Weight: 44 grams
  • breeding season: April to July
  • hatchery: breeding cavities
  • Breeding Duration: 15 days
  • clutch size: 5 to 10 eggs
  • Food: Ants, larvae, insects, spiders
  • enemies: Hawk, hawk, sparrowhawk, owl, owl, raccoon
  • migratory bird: winters in Africa
  • Life expectancy: ten years

Notice: Woodpeckers are important carpenters of the forest. Their burrows are used by tits, squirrels, dormouse and bats after the breeding season.

frequently asked Questions

What can you do if woodpeckers hammer holes in the house facade?

With their hard, pointed beaks, woodpeckers can build their nesting holes not only in trees, but also in house facades. To avoid permanent damage from moisture, you should plug the hole. However, this is only allowed outside the breeding season. To be on the safe side, contact the responsible nature conservation authority.

How can you support woodpeckers in winter?

Except for the wryneck, all native woodpecker species are sedentary. In winter, they look forward to an additional supply of fatty food at the aviary. Also set out a bowl of water, because birds also need water.

How can you make the garden woodpecker friendly?

Create habitats for small animals and beneficial insects in the garden. Piles of leaves and brushwood provide shelter for many animals. Some fallen fruit may remain as pet food. In the garden, leave a few berries on the bushes and don't cut all the seed heads off the bushes. In this way, woodpeckers and other winter birds can still find seeds, insects, worms or snails even in the cold season.

Are the trees damaged by the burrows of the woodpeckers?

Some woodpecker species feed on insects that only occur in deadwood. Three-toed woodpeckers, for example, hammer holes in spruce trees in search of food and slowly cause them to die off. The bark beetle is at the top of their menu. The behavior, which is called "ringing", does not pose a threat to our forests, it is more of a landscape conservation measure.

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Animals in the garden