Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Overview

The middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) is a mainly European woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocoptes. It is a small species that is visually similar to the great spotted woodpecker but distinguished by subtle differences in plumage and bill size.

Identification

• Upperparts are predominantly black with white oval wing patches and white barring, contrasting with white underparts.
• Distinguished from the great spotted woodpecker by a red crown, a pink vent, dark streaks on the flanks, and the absence of a black moustachial stripe.
• Appears smaller than the great spotted woodpecker due to a short, slender bill and a more rounded, pale head.
• Song is a slow, nasal 'gvayk gvayk gvayk gvayk', and calls include a fast 'kik kekekekek'.

Habitat

The species occurs in Europe and parts of West Asia, ranging from northern Spain and France to Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Iran. It prefers deciduous forest regions, especially areas with old oak, hornbeam, and elm, alongside a patchwork of clearings, pasture, and dense woodland.

Diet

This woodpecker feeds predominantly on insects and their larvae, which it picks from branches and twigs rather than hacking from beneath the bark. It also consumes tree sap.

Did you know?

The middle spotted woodpecker rarely drums and never does so for territorial purposes, instead asserting its territory through song.