Great Spotted Woodpecker

Description:

One of the regular residents in our backyard and the environment close-by, I observe (or hear) them regularly and all-year-round. Roughly the size of Blackbird, this woodpecker is mainly black and white, with red vent. Adult male (pic No 1) sports a large red patch on the nape, the red patch is absent in females, while juveniles have a bright red crown.

Habitat:

Seen on trees in the backyard of our residence building (never on feeders), at outskirts of a small urban center in Geneva lake valley. The backyard counts a number of deciduous trees and shrubs, most of them spontaneous and local, some planted. The backyard neighbours a meadow (used for producing hay) and a lowland deciduous (mainly oak and beech) forest, and some other agricultural fields