Great Spotted Woodpecker
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Woodpeckers

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

LCLeast Concern
Family
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Order
Piciformes

Overview

The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.