Great Spotted Woodpecker

This feather belongs to the Great Spotted Woodpecker, a medium-sized bird about the size of a blackbird. It features a striking piebald plumage (black and white) with a brilliant red patch on the undertail. Males also have a red patch on the nape of the neck. They are famous for their 'drumming' on resonant dead wood.

Striking pattern of bold, ivory-white oval spots on a dark charcoal-black to brownish-black background. The basal downy portion is a uniform neutral grey.

Mixed; pennaceous (interlocked) at the distal tip for protection and pattern, becoming plumulaceous (fluffy/downy) toward the proximal base for insulation.

Smooth and somewhat waxy at the tip; soft and silky at the downy base. The vane is moderately stiff but flexible.

Bold white circular/oval spots on a blackish ground; soft grey downy base; relatively small size compared to raptor feathers.

Broadleaf or coniferous woodlands, parks, gardens, and farmland with mature trees for nesting and foraging.

Resident across Europe and Northern Asia. Very common in the UK, including Cornwall and throughout the British Isles year-round.

Primary cavity nester; they create holes that many other species (like tits and flycatchers) use for nesting. They are also important for controlling wood-boring insect populations.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) feathers are much smaller and have a more barred rather than spotted appearance. European Starling feathers may have white tips but lack the large, rounded internal spotting.

Woodpeckers have incredibly long tongues that wrap around their skulls; they also possess 'shock absorbers' in their heads to protect their brains while drumming.

Good condition; the distal barbs are intact showing little wear, suggesting it was recently molted or lost. The fluffy base remains clean and un-matted.

Cornwall