Birds
Green Woodpecker
Picus viridis · also called European green woodpecker
Probing an anthill on open ground with a tongue far longer than its bill, a green woodpecker breaks nearly every rule of typical woodpecker behaviour, trading tree trunks for grassland and drumming for a loud, laughing call known as a yaffle.
Overview
The green woodpecker, Picus viridis, is a ground-foraging woodpecker native to forest and grassland habitat across much of Europe. Its unusual preference for hunting ants on open ground, exceptionally long sticky tongue, and distinctive laughing call make it one of the most behaviourally unconventional woodpeckers found anywhere in Europe.
A woodpecker that left the trees behind
While most woodpeckers define themselves by drilling into wood, the green woodpecker has built its entire feeding strategy around open ground, using its unusually long tongue to raid anthills that most other birds could never reach into.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and stable across suitable forest and grassland habitat throughout Europe.
Green Woodpecker: common questions
Why does the green woodpecker spend so much time on the ground?
This species feeds heavily on ants, which it extracts from the ground and anthills using a long, sticky tongue, a foraging strategy that keeps it on open ground far more often than most other woodpeckers.
What does the green woodpecker's call sound like?
This species has a loud, laughing call known colloquially as a yaffle, one of the more distinctive and easily recognised bird calls found across European woodland and grassland.
Does the green woodpecker drum on trees like other woodpeckers?
Rarely, since this species relies mainly on its loud call to communicate rather than the rhythmic drumming behaviour common among many other woodpecker species.
How can you identify a green woodpecker?
This species can be identified by its predominantly green plumage combined with a bright red crown, a striking colour combination unlike the black-and-white patterns of many other European woodpeckers.