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Birds

Birds

Common name European green woodpecker
Scientific name Picus viridis
Type Forest birds
Status Resident

Medium-sized (about 33 cm or 13 in), sturdy bird, with green plumage, more intense on the back. Greyish and yellowish breast and ventral area. Head with nape and forehead of red colour, black mask and red moustachial stripe with black border (females with entirely black moustachial stripe). Uppertail in yellow colour and black borders. Green wings with black borders.

Habitats

Woodland environment

Where it lives

Woodland species. The European Green Woodpecker occupies all kinds of forests, including partially wooded countryside and parks and gardens. It prefers edges of forests, riverbanks and not very dense deciduous masses.

How it lives

Species resident in the province all year round. It starts breeding in March. Nest inside a tree with rotten or soft bark. This bird lays from 5 to 7 eggs and feeds on xylophagous insects (wood eaters) and their eggs and larvae that it searches among the bark of trees. Bill less sturdy than that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. It does not chisel the wood equally effectively. Able to capture and extract ants from the anthills with its long, sticky tongue.

Where it can be seen in Malaga

It is a frequent and common bird in the forests and groves of the province. In the Great Path it can be observed in, for example, in stages 6, 7, 12, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32 and 33.

Curious facts

European green woodpeckers betray their presence in the forest emitting a typical and characteristic call that sounds like a "whinny".

Present
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wintering Summer Resident Migration
Audios