Black Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius
The black woodpecker is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region, and its range is expanding.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_woodpecker
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae
Genus
Dryocopus
Black Woodpecker belongs to the family Picidae, order Piciformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The black woodpecker is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region, and its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the largest woodpecker species in Europe as well as in the portion of Asia where it lives and is one of the largest species worldwide. This non-migratory species tends to make its home in old-growth forest or large forest stands and excavates a large tree hole to reside in. In turn, several species rely on black woodpeckers to secondarily reside in the holes made in trees by them. This woodpecker's diet consists mostly of carpenter ants. This species is closely related to, and fills the same ecological niche in Europe as, the pileated woodpecker of North America and the...
The Black Woodpecker faces significant pressure from widespread deforestation and intensive forest management practices that remove the large, mature trees essential for nesting and foraging. Climate change is altering forest composition and reducing suitable habitat, while fragmentation isolates populations and limits genetic exchange across its range.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Mature coniferous and mixed forests with large trees, particularly favoring old-growth stands with abundant dead wood for nesting cavities. Requires extensive forest territories with minimal human disturbance, typically in montane and boreal forest ecosystems.
Threats
Deforestation and logging of mature forests
Intensive forest management removing dead wood
Loss of old-growth forest stands
Climate change altering forest ecosystems
Habitat fragmentation
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (VU).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | VUVulnerable | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | VUVulnerable | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/black-woodpecker