The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) is a medium-sized woodpecker that is found from northern Europe across northern Asia to Japan.
The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker is 21–22 cm (8.3–8.7 in) in length, just a little smaller than the great spotted woodpecker. The adult has black and white plumage except for the yellow crown of the male. Neither sex has any red feathers. It has black wings and rump, and white from the throat to the belly; the flanks are white with black bars. The back is white with black bars, and the tail is black with the white outer feathers barred with black. Juveniles of both sexes have a yellow crown.[10]
The voice call of the Eurasian three-toed woodpecker is a kik or chik
Three-toed woodpeckers nest in a cavity in a dead conifer or sometimes a live tree or pole. The pair excavates a new nest each year.
This bird is normally a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south and birds at high elevations may move to lower levels in winter.
Three-toed woodpeckers forage on conifers in search of wood-boring beetle larvae or other insects. They may also eat fruit and tree sap.
These birds often move into areas with large numbers of insect-infested trees, often following a forest fire or flooding.
Status
A survey conducted by BirdLife International in 2015 estimated the European population of the species at 1,200,000–2,900,000 adults. As the European population is estimated to be around 20% of the global population, the latter is roughly estimated at 6,000,000–14,500,000 adults worldwide.[11]
Although some decline was observed in the European population between 1970 and 2000, the overall population is considered to be fairly stable; and due to the species' wide range and large population, it is classified by the IUCN at a conservation status of "Least Concern".[11]
Notes
^ abIUCN (the source of spatial data of ranges in these maps) does not recognize P. (tridactylus) dorsalis as separate species.
^ abBirdLife International and NatureServe (2014) Bird Species Distribution Maps of the World. 2014. Picoides tridactylus. In: IUCN 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Archived from the original on 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2014-04-23.. Downloaded on 26 May 2015.
^ abGill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Woodpeckers". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1985). "Picoides tridactylus Three-toed woodpecker". Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. IV: Terns to Woodpeckers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 913–923. ISBN978-0-19-857507-8.
Further reading
Gorman, Gerard (2004): Woodpeckers of Europe: A Study of the European Picidae. Bruce Coleman, UK. ISBN1-872842-05-4.
Fayt, Philippe; Machmer, Marlene M.; Steeger, Christoph (2005). "Regulation of spruce bark beetles by woodpeckers — a literature review". Forest Ecology and Management. 206 (1–3): 1–14. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2004.10.054.
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