Knock on wood

Our beloved, bark-drumming woodpeckers are guardians of ancient broad-leaved woodlands, busy ecosystem engineers and keen consumers of ant porridge, discovers Vicky Liddell

ON a clear February morning, the unmistakable hammering of a great spotted woodpecker is one of the first signs of spring. With its distinctive pied plumage and flash of red under the tail, the great spotted is the most common of our three native woodpeckers, followed by the much chunkier green woodpecker with its jaunty red cap and loud laughing call. The lesser spotted woodpecker is, as its name implies, smaller. However, the name has recently taken on a tragic meaning, as their dramatic decline means that they’re hardly spotted at all. A fourth species, the wryneck, was once quite common, but now rarely nests in the UK and is no longer considered a resident. Woodpeckers are members of the Picidae, an ancient family of birds in the Piciformes order…

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Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 26, 2025

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