Gallery - Woodpeckers, Nuthatchers and Treecreepers

Woodpeckers (Picidae)

They are often heard before they are seen. Their sharp beaks make a loud rat-a-tat as they chisel into the bark of a tree in search of insects. They also dig out holes for nesting.

Spotted woodpeckers ID

Great BTO video on the Great and Lesser spotted woodpeckers

Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major)

A resident of woodlands throughout Europe, this woodpecker eats insects,nuts and seeds,but also takes eggs and young birds in the spring.It climbs trees in a series of hops and is rarely seen on the ground. The nest is in a tree which the woodpecker chisels out itself.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)

A small resident species of European woodlands. Feeds on tree-trunks, in brances and among leaves, eating mainly insects, rarley seen on ground.

Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

The Green Woodpecker is an Amber list species-medium conservation concern.

A large resident woodpecker which lives in woodland, small copses,farmland and parks. It often feeds on the ground and sometimes well away from trees. It eats ants and other insects.

Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)

The Wryneck is a red listed species-high conservation concern.

Related to the woodpeckers, the Wryneck is a summer migrant to open woodlands,parks and orchards. It winters in Africa.On the ground it hops, feeding largely on ants

Nuthatches (Sittidae)

Nuthatches are very agile tree birds and are to be seen clambering up or running headfirst down trunks and along branches, picking insects from the bark.

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

On tree trunks and branches it moves with little jumps and often decends head first. It eats insects and seeds including nuts which it wedges in a crevice and hammers open. Nests in holes and plasters the entrance with mud to deter other species from entering.

Treecreepers (Certhiidae)

These birds are named after the way they creep up tree trunks, seeking insects in the bark. They nest in holes and crevices in trees behind ivy.

Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)

Small brown woodland bird which creeps like a mouse up tree trunks and large branches, usually spiralling round as it searches for insects and spiders.The nest is built in a crevice often behind loose bark.

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