GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

It sounds like machine-gun when the woodpecker hammers its way into the tree to reach galleries of wood boring beetle larva. It then spears the fat meal with its harpoon-like tongue and moves on to search for more.

This method is unique amongst birds. The woodpecker not only makes holes to reach the larva but uses the same method to build a nest. In breeding season it announces its present by drumming on a branch by which it creates a rapid knocking sound which travels quite a great distance.

Its main tool for all these activities is his peak. The long and chisel-tipped peak is mounted on a specially reinforced skull. This special protection prevents damage to its brain from shock of each blow and also injuries. Its neck muscles are very strong and able to work in a high speed.  It reaches 13 strikes in half a second.

The bird has also different toes. There two forwards and two backwards toes. This gives the bird a good grip on the bark and enables it to use its peak so effectively. It also has another amazing addition.  The tail feathers have reinforced central spines. This enables the bird to hang backwards, away from the tree, and the tail supports it like a shooting stick.

IT’S DIET

As it hops up the tree it listens and examines the bark for any sign of the wood-boring beetle’s larvae.

The beetles start as an egg lay under the bark. The grub’s food is by eating the wood. It forms a tunnel and as the grub grows the tunnel expands. When it reaches its full size it pupates, still under the bark, and then emerges as a beetle.

The tell-telling tales is either decaying wood or sounds of larvae munching it ways through the timber. The woodpecker will spot it and starts drilling. When it reaches the gallery it will insert its tongue to get hold of the larvae. The great spotted woodpecker has a 40mm long tongue. This is in human turns a 22cm long tongue.  Its tongue is sticky and has a barbed like tip.   The barbs are used to pierce into the larvae while the sticky saliva is used to catch beetles which have hard armour.

IT’S HABITAT

The great spotted woodpecker is found across Europe and 
Asia.  It lives sin great territory of pine forest in the west of the British Isles to the east of Japan and China. The vast northern conifer forests provide the woodpecker cone of pines and fir trees. This is a very important source of food.

The bird takes the whole cones and wedges it into a cranny or if not available it creates a wedge-shape hole in a tree. It rams the cones in and then pulls off the hard outer shell to reach the nutritious seed inside. It is estimated that bird would eat up to 7000 seeds a day.

Another source of food the bird uses is; in spring when the sap is rising it cuts a number of holes around the trunk. It visits it daily and drinks the sap as well as eats any beetle or insect which got trapped there. 

BREEDING SEASON

As the breeding season is coming the woodpecker hammers on wood to proclaim its territory. The sound could travel up to 800m. This also helps to find other woodpeckers. When they established a relationship the birds start in earnest. They prefer a tree with rotten wood which is easier to drill into it. They drive straight at first and downwards for about 12 cm wide and 30cm deep. The female lays four to seven white eggs at the bottom on fine soft woodchips and foliage.

To create this nest site it is a major job and takes the bird two to four weeks hard work. Starlings are very fond of stealing such a valuable nest-site. After being constantly harassed, the starling eventually gives up but still steals the twigs and moss to be carried somewhere else. After that battle the woodpecker also moves and starts afresh somewhere else.

The chicks hatch after 12 days and then the real work starts. The parents have to provide as much food as possible. Now, instead of drilling holes for larvae the birds find them on leaves and plants. It had been know they also steal other baby birds or squirrels and the adult squirrels steal woodpeckers off spring.

Once the breeding season is over the birds try to maintain their nest-site and hopefully till the next breeding season. If they are able to is will save a lot of energy.