Great spotted woodpecker
Dendrocopos syriacus
If a fast "tak-tak-tak" comes from a tree in the park, look up. You will see a black-and-white bird with a red patch under its tail.
| Size | 22–23 cm |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 34–39 cm |
| Weight | 60–80 g |
| Diet | Insect larvae inside trees, seeds, walnuts |
| Eggs | 4–6 |
| Where to see it | Parks, gardens, orchards; all year |
The back is black, there are big white patches on the shoulders and the underside of the tail is reddish. The male has a red patch on the nape. Young birds have a red crown all over.
It can hit a tree about 20 times a second. So how does its head not hurt? The structure of its skull and the tissues behind its beak absorb the impact.
Its tongue is incredibly long and wraps around the skull. The tip is barbed and sticky. It pulls larvae out of the tunnels inside the wood with this tongue.
Not all of that tapping is looking for food. In spring they drum quickly on dry branches. It's the woodpecker way of saying "this is my place".
To draw it in DrawBird
Draw the body from the sparrow lesson upright, as if it were clinging to a tree trunk. Make the beak long and sharp. Back black, a big white patch on the shoulder, underside of the tail red.
Drawing lesson: How to draw a sparrow →
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