Wildlifeof China
Black Woodpecker
Barbets & Woodpeckers
Photo: (c) avsdov, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dryocopus martius
Basic stats
Diet
Mostly carpenter ants
Habitat
Old-growth forest or large forest stands; excavates a large tree hole; observed at 100–2,400m
Range
Mature forests across the northern Palearctic
Size
45–55cm
Wingspan
64–84cm
Weight
Average 250–400g
The black woodpecker is a large woodpecker of mature forests across the northern Palearctic, 45–55cm long with a 64–84cm wingspan and an average body weight of 250–400g. It is the largest woodpecker in Europe and in the part of Asia where it lives, and one of the largest worldwide. Its diet consists mostly of carpenter ants. It has been observed at elevations between 100 and 2,400m (Wikipedia, general species account).
This non-migratory species tends to live in old-growth forest or large forest stands and excavates a large tree hole to reside in. Several other species rely on black woodpeckers to occupy the holes they make. Its piercing yellow eyes and manic, high-pitched calls have made it a villain of fairy tales (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Black Woodpecker eat?
- Mostly carpenter ants
- What habitat does the Black Woodpecker live in?
- Old-growth forest or large forest stands; excavates a large tree hole; observed at 100–2,400m
- Where is the Black Woodpecker found?
- Mature forests across the northern Palearctic
- How big is the Black Woodpecker?
- 45–55cm
- What is the wingspan of the Black Woodpecker?
- 64–84cm
- How much does the Black Woodpecker weigh?
- Average 250–400g