Green Woodpecker
A fairly common uk inhabitant, the green woodpecker ( Picus viridis ) is the biggest of the three species of woodpecker that breed in Britain. It has quite a chunky body, short tail and a strong, long bill as is expected of the Picidae family of birds. It is mostly green on its upper parts with a distinctive red cap on the top of its head. It also has a black ‘moustache’ coming away from the bill. The male is distinguished from the female by also having red markings on the base to its bill.
Green woodpeckers have an undulating flight and a loud, laughing call. Their favourite food is ants, using their strong beaks to find ants and colonies in tree trunks, loose wood and elsewhere.
