Short Description
The black woodpecker is very distinctive thanks to its completely black plumage. Its bill is grey-white and its iris pale.
Males can be identified by their red crowns.
Females only have a red nape.
Juvenile black woodpeckers are noticeably paler and more of a dark grey-brown, also with a red crown.
Features
Black woodpecker
Dryocopus martius
black plumage
bright red crown
Flugrufe und Trommeln
Frommolt und Conrads, CC BY-SA 3.0
In the city
Black woodpeckers are mainly found in forests. In an urban environment, they may occasionally be seen in parks or cemeteries with old trees.
Fun Facts
The black woodpecker is the largest indigenous woodpecker.
It plays a particularly important role in nature protection, because its nesting chambers are subsequently used by a wide range of other species. These include jackdaws, tawny owls, bats, squirrels and bees.
It breeds and hibernates in Germany.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
The founding legend of Rome mentions a bird that is most likely a black woodpecker. It provides food for the she-wolf and the siblings Romulus and Remus.
Sources
Männchen, xulescu_g, CC BY-SA 2.0, http://species-id.net/openmedia/File:Dryocopus_martius_xulescu_g.jpg
Weibchen, Nouhouhouk, CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pic_noir_-_Dryocopus_martius.JPG
Weibchen, Peter von Bagh, CC BY 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/petervonbagh/22551655538/
Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.
Page „Schwarzspecht“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 27.11.2015, 06:43 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Schwarzspecht&oldid=148439392 (Accessed: 17.02.2016).