Scientific name: Dendrocopos leucotos (Bechstein, 1802)
Bird group: Woodpeckers
Field characters. 25 cm. Slightly larger than Great Spotted Woodpecker. Main distinguishing characters are red cap in male (but black in female), no black stripe on side of head, white back and rump, no white shoulder patches, sparsely streaked white underparts and pink vent and undertail. Northern race leucotos with much white, but white on body in alpine subspecies lilfordi strongly reduced, appearing largely black. Especially in flight heavily black-and-white striped wings and white rump obvious. Three-toed Woodpecker is much smaller and has white from rump up to neck.
Voice. Soft 'kjuk', sometimes repeated. Drumming loud and longer than Great Spotted Woodpecker, accelerating towards end.
Distribution. Resident. Rare and declining.
Habitat. Old mature forests with moulding and rotting trees.
Food. Mainly insects, but also fruits.