The woodpecker (Picus viridis), is the woodpecker most widespread in Europe and most easily distinguished in the Iberian Peninsula. We can see them climbing trees, looking for food on the ground or flying through the trees.
When spring comes, we can hear them building their nest with a constant knocking against the wood. The greenish color of its plumage crowned with a red spot on the head make it unmistakable, in addition to its large size.
On our site we tell you everything about the biology of the woodpecker, describing its appearance so that you can easily recognize it on field trips or even when you walk through urban parks.
Origin of the Woodpecker
The woodpecker is a bird of the family of the Pícidos or woodpeckers. Its distribution covers all of Europe, except for the most polar areas, where it originates. It is a very widespread bird and some subspecies are known.
In the Iberian Peninsula it extends to all regions, although it is rare to see it in the valley of the Guadalquivir, the Ebro and some areas of Extremadura. One subspecies is known from this region, the Picus sharpei.
Characteristics of the Woodpecker
The woodpecker is a relatively large bird, reaching a wingspan of 40 centimetersIts plumage is very colorful, mainly green, with the ventral area somewhat yellowish and greyish, the rump (lower area of the back) is yellow and on the head it has three red spots of a very intense tone, one on the crown or crown and the other two in the area of the cheeks, called whiskers, which turn black when the adult individual is female. The feathers around the eyes are black. The plumage in the young is very mottled.
It has strong legs designed to grip the surface of trees. Its tongue is designed to pull insects out of holes, so it is extremely long, longer than its head.
Habitat of the Woodpecker
The woodpecker is a forest bird, the riparian forest being its favorite ecosystem. They can also live in scrubby areas, even in meadows with few trees. They can live at sea level up to 1200 meters of altitude, where they do not seem to settle. The habitat that this bird chooses to live in is largely determined by the availability of food and shelter
Prefers soft woods such as poplar or poplar, which is easier to drill with its beak. We can even see them in urban parks, although it is a very elusive and untrusting animal, so if we get too close (several meters) it will go away.
Feeding the Woodpecker
The woodpecker's main food is l Ants and their larvae According to some studies, these birds prefer to feed in areas where there is vegetation and where the ground is not very hard. Unlike other woodpeckers, the beak and skull of these animals are not as strong, so they cannot reach certain xylophagous insects (eaters of rotten wood) that hide deep in the trunks.
To counteract this characteristic, woodpeckers have a long tongue, which can extend up to 10 centimeters, it issticky and highly mobile , making it the perfect ant catcher.
Playing the Woodpecker
The breeding season for these birds arrives with spring, approximately at the end of March. Begins with nestbuilding by both parents, it can take up to a month to create a nest, about 40 centimeters deep in very soft or rotten logs. Exceptions to this type of nesting have been discovered for this species. In the Guadix region (Granada), in a very arid area, it was revealed that these birds can also nest on clay slopes, directly on the ground.
After building the nest, the female woodpecker lays about 6 eggs, which will be incubated by both parents. Just over two weeks later, the eggs hatch and both parents will feed the chicks until they are able to leave the nest, which is in just under a month.
