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Dendrocoptes medius

Middle spotted woodpecker

Habitus (CC BY-SA 3.0) Marek Szczepanek

Short Description

Both male and female middle spotted woodpeckers have striking red crowns. They are black and white with red underparts.

The plumage of young birds is less contrasty. Their crowns are paler red and their underparts are not red at all.

Features

Middle spotted woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

  • red crown

  • red underparts

Rufe

Frommolt (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Similar species

Lesser spotted woodpecker

Dryobates minor
In a lesser spotted woodpecker, only the front of the head is red and the face is marked with a black stripe on its cheek (moustachial stripe). There is red on its underparts.

Great spotted woodpecker

Dendrocopos major
In a great spotted woodpecker, only the nape area is red and the face is marked with a distinctive black stripe on its cheek (moustachial stripe).
Habitus (CC BY-SA 3.0) Maren Winter

In the city

The middle spotted woodpecker prefers oak forests and, in contrast with the great spotted woodpecker, is seen more rarely in parks and cemeteries.

Fun Facts

  • The middle spotted woodpecker is rarely heard drumming.

  • Middle spotted woodpeckers can be seen in Germany all year round.

  • Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
Habitus (CC BY-SA 3.0) Hajotthu

Sources

Habitus , Marek Szczepanek, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dendrocopos_medius_%28Marek_Szczepanek%29.jpg

Habitus , Maren Winter, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mittelspecht3a.jpg

Habitus , Hajotthu, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mittelspecht_(Dendrocopos_medius)_01.JPG

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 „Mittelspecht“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 18.02.2016, 13:32 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mittelspecht&oldid=151640487 (Accessed: 20.04.2016).

Artenfinder (2016) Leiopicus medius (Mittelspecht), URL: https://arteninfo.net/elearning/voegel/speciesportrait/3039 (Accessed: 20.04.2016).

NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (n.d.) Spechte im Vergleich. Vögel mit eingebautem Stoßdämpfer, URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/aktionen-und-projekte/stunde-der-gartenvoegel/voegel-bestimmen/13776.html (Accessed: 07.04.2017).