Bird Album
Black Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius (Linnaeus, 1758)
40–46 cmLength67–73 cmWingspan321 gWeight
It has black feathers throughout, with a bright splash of red on the crown.
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Czechia, Poland, Germany
How to identify
Field marks
- Black body feathers
- Male has an entirely red crown
- Yellow eyes
- Very long bill
Male, female and young
The male has an entirely red crown, while the female has red only on the rear crown; juveniles have less glossy feathers and a pale gray throat and bill.
Voice
High-pitched calls, with grating shrieks in flight.
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Czechia, Poland, Germany
Black Woodpecker has been recorded at 545 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 43 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Sapieginės miškasLithuania429 records
- Devínske jazeroSlovakia373 records
- PP LítožniceCzechia306 records
More places
- Leutratal und CospothGermany303 records
- KatzenseeSwitzerland276 records
- Obóz WisłaPoland261 records
- HeidesteinNetherlands258 records
- Hel – CypelPoland249 records
- Tamiški nasip – uzvodno i nizvodno od železničkog mosta kod PančevaSerbia231 records
- CHKO Jeseníky – Červenohorské sedloCzechia227 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region, and its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the largest woodpecker species in Europe as well as in the portion of Asia where it lives and is one of the largest species worldwide.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black Woodpecker?
The Black Woodpecker is about 40–46 cm long, with a wingspan of 67–73 cm and weighs around 321 g.
Where does the Black Woodpecker live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread. It is most often recorded in Czechia, Poland and Germany.
When is the best time to see the Black Woodpecker?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Black Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Woodpecker as Least Concern.
What does the Black Woodpecker eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Black Woodpecker in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 40–46 cm
- Wingspan
- 67–73 cm
- Weight
- 321 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 238 mm
- Tail
- 176 mm
- Bill
- 66 mm
- Tarsus
- 36 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 1
- Dryocopus martius khamensis Tibet and sw China
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Dryocopus
Other birds in the genus Dryocopus
Black-bodied WoodpeckerDryocopus schulzii
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatus
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus
White-bellied WoodpeckerDryocopus javensis
Andaman WoodpeckerDryocopus hodgei
Eurasian WryneckJynx torquilla
Red-throated WryneckJynx ruficollis
Speckled PiculetPicumnus innominatus
Bar-breasted PiculetPicumnus aurifrons
Lafresnaye's PiculetPicumnus lafresnayi
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Александр. ↗
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