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Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae
BTO Codes: GS, GRSWO EURING No: 8760
Number in Britain: 41 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  

Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Scarce Visitor
Subspecies: anglicus (R), major (S) recorded in Britain (of 24 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 22 cm Wingspan: 36 cm Weight: M/F: 85 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: dendron=tree + kopos=cutter and L.: major=great
World Distribution: Eurasia
Habitat: Forest, woodland, towns
Diet: Mostly insects hidden under bark or in dead wood, but also tree seeds and birds' eggs
TitBit: The drumming sound produced by the woodpecker relies not so much on a heavy knock, but rather on the correct frequency of knocks (10-40 strikes per second) to make the timber resonate, although they do have shock-absorbent tissue at the base of the skull a s well  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends: Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)    BBS Maps
British Population Size:
    Summer: 37 to 44 thousand pairs in 2000     Note: Best estimate
    First Record: 10th Century [Fossil evidence from early Holocene, up to 10,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: anglicus AMBER (Important Population)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood
    And found in: Villages
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 4 to 8 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WBD(I*), Bern(III)
Survey Results: Garden BirdWatch
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 27 x 20 mm Egg Weight: 5.7 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 51   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 4 - 6 eggs 5.28 ± 1.49 (2 - 9) N = 43
Incubation: 14- 16 days 14.32 ± 2.10 (10.5 - 17) N = 42 by the: Female (occ. Male)
Fledging: 20 - 24days 22.30 ± 2.91 (18 - 27.5) N = 362 as: Altricial, naked
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 4 May (16 Apr - 22 May)
Number of Broods: 1
Trends in Breeding Productivity

Number Ringed: 876
Adult Survival: No data
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: No data
Maximum Recorded Age: 10yr 9m   (Sweden: 12yr 8m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: C
Wing Length Adult: 132.4 ± 2.7 Range 128 - 137 mm, N =2663
Juvenile: 131.3 ± 3.5 126 - 136 mm, N =2357
Male: 132.5 ± 2.6 128 - 137 mm, N =1335
Female: 132.2 ± 2.7 128 - 137 mm, N =1319
Weight Adult: 78.73 ± 5.31 Range 71.00 - 87.00 g , N =2113
Juvenile: 76.86 ± 5.68 69.30 - 85.00 g , N =1878
Male: 79.80 ± 5.32 72.00 - 88.00 g , N =1046
Female: 77.65 ± 5.08 . 70.00 - 86.00 g , N =1061
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Gaelic: Snagan-daraich Welsh: Cnocell Fraith Fwyaf
Danish: Stor flagspćtte Dutch: Grote bonte specht
Finnish: Käpytikka French: Pic épeiche
German: Buntspecht Hungarian: Nagy fakopáncs
Icelandic: Barrspćta Irish: Mórchnagaire Breac
Italian: Picchio rosso maggiore Norwegian: Flaggspett
Polish: Dzieciol duzy Portuguese: Pica-pau-malhado-grande
Spanish: Pico picapinos Swedish: Större hackspett
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Michalek, K.G. & Miettinen, J. 2003 BWP Update 5:101-184
See Also:
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb BirdFacts home | BTO Home
Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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