There are a few species of Woodpeckers in Holland and this is the most common one. It can be seen all around the country, provided there are trees. It's a colourful bird that looks bigger than it actually is. You don't see it very often, but in winter it visits my garden regularly. During these visits it behaves like the Great Tit and Blue Tit: it is very fond of the peanut nets and will fanatically try to get the nuts out. Because it has a very powerful beak, this presents little to no problem.
This bird belongs to the family of Woodpeckers (Picidae). It is very common in our garden and can be seen in Holland all year round. The bird is 9" and weighs 80 grams. It lives in woodlands, parks and gardens mostly. It eats insects and tree juices. Compared to the male, the female has no red on her head. Like most woodpeckers the Great Spotted Woodpecker makes or enlarges a hole in a tree. Around the end of May they make a nest there in which five to seven eggs are deposited. The breeding time itself is extremely short: after only twelve days the eggs hatch. The young remain in the nest for nearly three weeks.
