Woodpeckers definitely rank amongst my all-time favourite birds. With a wingspan of between 67 and 73 cm the black woodpecker is by far the largest and most impressive of all European woodpeckers. It is also a particularly vocal species, its long powerful drum roll can be heard from a long distance, as well as its unmistakable flight call “kruk-kruk-kruk“.
Black woodpeckers are a keystone species as a great number of different species depend upon the same ecological factors as the black woodpecker for their survival. Protecting black woodpeckers automatically confers protection to a wide range of species that share the same habitat. A considerable number of other animals such as the tawny owl, Tengmalm’s owls, stock doves but also pine martens, squirrels, bats and even hornets benefit from the spacious cavities that only black woodpeckers can create. With its black plumage and red cap (or hind-crown in case of the female) the black woodpecker cannot possibly be confused with any other member of the picidae family.
Whilst black woodpeckers are relatively widespread, their territories are often huge and hence they not all that easy to find. Observing them can be complex too, as they tend to be particularly suspicious of humans and you have to be well camouflaged to go unnoticed to their eagle eye. They are also surprisingly fast, despite their somewhat clumsy appearance. Combined with the lack of light inside the forests the species is quite a challenge to photograph.
Over the last few years I have spent a considerable amount of time tracking and observing different pairs at various times of the year. You can find the results in the gallery below:
Feeding session – Séance de nourrissage – Fütterung
Male black woodpecker – pic noir mâle – Schwarzspechtmännchen
Landing – atterrissage – Landung
Black woodpecker – pic noir – Schwarzspecht
Spring clean – Mme fait le ménage – Frau Specht räumt auf
Tongue and feather – La langue et la plume – Die Zunge und die Feder
Changing of the guard – La relève – Ablösung
Male black woodpecker – pic noir mâle – Schwarzspechtmännchen
Male black woodpecker – mâle pic noir – Schwarzspechtmännchen
Female black woodpecker – femelle pic noir – Schwarzspechtweibchen
Black woodpecker – pic noir – Schwarzspecht
Feeding session – séance de nourrissage – Fütterung
Black woodpecker – pic noir – Schwarzspecht
Twilight hours – Crépuscule – Dämmerung
At the window – A la fenêtre – Am Fenster
Twilight hours – Crépuscule – Dämmerung
Landing – Atterrissage – Landung
Silhouette
The coast is clear – La voie est libre – Die Luft ist rein
Autumn forest – Forêt d’automne – Herbstwald
Landing – Atterrissage – Landung
Home sweet home – Rentrée au bercail – Trautes Heim
Last security check – Dernière vérification – Letzte Sicherung
