Dendrocopos major major

• The peregrine falcon killed woodpeckers in the Yamal tundra, as birds changed forest habitats to open spaces in search of food. In the treeless area, this hawk became the main threat to woodpeckers.
• Great spotted woodpecker chicks learn to fly after 20–23 days, spending this time in the nest. Parents fly to the nest every 2–4 minutes, making up to 300 feedings per day.
• In the great spotted woodpecker, the male differs from the female by a red transverse stripe on the nape. In young birds, regardless of sex, the crown is red with black longitudinal stripes.
• The average lifespan of the great spotted woodpecker is about 9 years, but in Sweden, an individual aged 12 years 8 months was recorded. This age is the maximum known in Europe.
• The drumming of the great spotted woodpecker is very short, lasting about 0.6 seconds and consisting of 12–13 merging beats. Individual beats are almost indistinguishable, and the sound quickly fades.
• The drumming of the great spotted woodpecker is audible up to 1.5 km away. In good weather, the sound spreads especially far.
• The great spotted woodpecker uses up to 57 “anvils” on its territory, but usually actively uses only two to four. In some cases, up to 5–7 thousand scales and broken cones accumulate under a tree.
• The great spotted woodpecker makes many different sounds throughout the year. Its voice is heard for various reasons, including mating excitement, territorial disputes, fear, and nest demonstration. In winter, its activity is often accompanied by cracking cones stuck in bark cracks.
• The great spotted woodpecker pecks bark with its beak and extracts insects with its tongue, creating a hole up to 10 cm deep. Its tongue, about 40 mm long, allows it to reach prey in deep crevices.