The great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major, is a medium-sized woodpecker found across much of Eurasia and parts of North Africa. It lives in many kinds of woodland, from broadleaf and conifer forests to parks, orchards, and gardens with mature trees.
Its plumage is a sharp pattern of black and white, with a red patch under the tail. Males have a red patch on the back of the head, while females do not. Young birds have a red crown before they grow into their adult markings.
Great spotted woodpeckers use their strong bills to chisel into bark and wood for beetle larvae and other insects. They also eat seeds, nuts, berries, sap, and sometimes eggs or chicks from other birds' nests.
Drumming is one of their most familiar behaviors. Rather than singing like many birds, a woodpecker rapidly taps on resonant wood to announce its territory and attract a mate.
Pairs excavate nest holes in living or dead trees, leaving the chamber mostly unlined except for wood chips. Both parents help incubate the eggs and feed the chicks until the young are ready to leave the nest cavity.