Garden woodpecker | Facts & Information

Origin

It is not a migratory species, but flies over short distances in search of food. Lives in gardens, parks, orchards and forests in various trees (nuts, poplars, mulberries, fruit trees, etc.)

In Romania it is present all year round and is found mostly in the plains and hills. It is now an increasingly rare bird, its greatest threat being the disappearance of nesting sites.

The destruction of the natural habitat and the use of herbicides and insecticides excessively affect the area of the bird.

In Europe, the population is between 500,000 and 1,100,000 pairs.

Read Also the flight of birds

Feeding the Garden Woodpecker

The garden woodpecker feeds on insects, seeds and fruits.

Unlike other species that feed mostly on larvae or ants, this species consumes the most fruit and seeds.

Their food also includes insects (butterflies, caterpillars, worms, larvae) that are found in the bark of trees and their larvae that reach breaking the bark of trees and catching them with long and sticky tongue.

When they are looking for food and hammers the trees catch with the claws of the bark and lean in the tail.

The garden woodpecker is considered one of the carnivorous woodpecker species due to its way of feeding.

See also bird mating

Features Garden Woodpecker

The variegated garden woodpecker is a medium-sized bird with a length of 25cm, a wingspan of 38-45cm and a weight of around 80 grams.

The mottled plumage consists of white and black colors plus a splash of pink.

The male has a red spot on the back of the neck which in the female is missing. The young have a red head crest. The beak is conical, straight and black in color.

The tail is black, the feathers on the belly white, and those in the anal area are pink.

The legs are short and strong, as are the fingers. The plumage of the two sexes is similar.

It can be easily confused, especially in flight, with the mottled woodpecker. The flight is undulating, and the wings are tight at the sides of the body after each series of wingbeats. It is considered an aggressive and dominant species.

They mark their territory by hammering dry trees, dry branches or telegraph poles in the spring.

Breeding Garden Woodpecker

The mating ritual of variegated garden woodpeckers is interesting. Both partners have movements that are part of a ritual, head and neck movements accompanied by flights and shrill cries. Both sexes beat darabana.

The garden woodpecker makes its nest alone, like all woodpeckers, in the trunk of trees or in their thick branches. The entrance is about 5 cm long for the bird to enter and is round, and the depth of the nest is 10-25cm.

The nest is usually made at a height of 2m, but can be found up to heights of 6m. the male is the main worker in making the nest. There is also the possibility that sometimes they use old hollows. It is a monogamous species. Outside the breeding season it is a solitary bird.

It also nests near houses in various old trees in people's yards and gardens.

After mating the female lays, in the spring between June and May 3-6 eggs. Eggs are hatched by both parents for almost two weeks. Puppies are raised and fed by both parents. They stay in the nest for 25 days after they start flying and stay close to their parents for another two weeks after which they become independent.

Live a long life for a bird. Life expectancy is 10-11 years in the wild.