Woodpeckers
Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker
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Picoides tridactylus
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How to recognize it
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21–22 cm long
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Black-and-white pattern, white back with black bars
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Yellow crown in males and juveniles of both sexes; silvery gray with dark markings in females
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No red feathers
About the species
Black and white plumage gives it a darker look at first, with a white back crossed by black bars and pale underparts marked with dark streaks. The male wears a lemon-yellow crown; the female’s is gray with dark flecks. Unlike many woodpeckers, neither has red on the head or under the tail.
Usually quiet, it gives a soft "chik" call and works along conifer trunks, searching beneath the bark for insects. It is mostly solitary outside the nesting season, and both sexes drum on wood, though females do so less often. If a tree still holds food, it may return the next day.
It lives in mature coniferous and mixed forests, especially where dead or insect-damaged trees are available, and usually nests in a fresh cavity in a dead conifer each year. Beetle larvae and other insects make up most of its food, with tree sap and berries taken occasionally. It usually remains in the same area year-round, though those in the far north may move south and those at high elevations may descend in winter.
Where to find
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Outside the city, in mature conifer forest, the Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker strips bark from dead trees for larvae — scan trunks about 1–3 m above ground.
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After snowmelt, watch it search fallen branches and moss-covered rotten stumps for food.
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On forest burns with many insect-infested trees, it may turn up after a fire — watch for it searching trunks for food.
