Great Spotted Woodpecker

This feather belongs to the Great Spotted Woodpecker, a striking black-and-white bird roughly the size of a blackbird. It features a crimson undertail, and males have a red patch on the nape. Known for its 'drumming' on resonant dead wood during spring, it is a master of tree-climbing with zygodactyl feet.

Deep brownish-black or charcoal base color with five distinct, large, rounded white spots on the inner vane. The outer vane also shows smaller corresponding white notches.

Pennaceous; the barbs are tightly interlocked and rigid to provide the necessary surface tension for flight. Minimal plumulaceous (fluffy) down at the very base of the calamus.

Smooth and glossy on the dorsal surface, slightly more matte on the ventral side. The feather feels stiff and brittle, optimized for the physical stresses of wood-boring and flight.

Bold white spots on a black ground; strong asymmetry of the primary vane; stiff, durable rachis common to the Picidae family.

Found in a wide variety of woodlands, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests. Also frequently seen in parks, gardens, and orchards.

Widespread across the Palearctic region, from Great Britain and Iberia across Europe and North Asia to Japan and North Africa. Generally a resident species.

Primary cavity nester; their abandoned holes provide essential nesting sites for secondary cavity nesters like tits, nuthatches, and owls. They also control wood-boring insect populations.

Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus) which has nearly identical flight feathers, and the Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius), which is smaller with different spot spacing.

Woodpeckers have incredibly long tongues that wrap around their skulls. This species can drum at a rate of 10 to 16 strikes per second to communicate and mark territory.

Good condition. There is slight fraying at the tip and edges, likely due to contact with tree bark or typical flight wear. No evidence of fault bars or parasites is visible.