BIRD 2

Like Bird 1, this woodpecker is also black-and-white, with red under the tail (which rules out Lesser Spotted); ie a typical Dendrocopos. The black crown and nape, lacking any red, means we are dealing with an adult female. The white shoulder patches rule out White-backed and the strong moustachial stripe rules out Middle Spotted. So, that leaves the similar Great Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers. Luckily we can see enough to confirm the identification: the strong black line which connects the nape with the moustachial stripe would not be present on Syrian, so this bird is an adult female Great Spotted Woodpecker, which is the most widespread and ‘default’ of the spotted woodpeckers in Eurasia.

KEY FEATURES †Black-and-white woodpecker with white shoulder patches †Deep red undertail †Black moustachial stripe connected with a black stripe to nape †Black crown and nape implies female