@marianomariano 17 July 2022

White-backed woodpecker, a beauty among woodpeckers This woodpecker is much larger and more massive than other birds of its species. It has beautiful plumage with a characteristic red cap, which is found only in the male. This woodpecker has a beautiful brindle and a contrasting white rump. The underside of the body is black, hatched with a pink background. The length of the body reaches up to 30 cm. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer places in Poland where the natural environment is favorable for this bird. It can be found mainly in reserves in the eastern part of Poland, for example in the Augustów and Białowieża Primeval Forests and in the Biebrza Valley, as well as in the Lublin region and in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. The species is becoming more and more difficult to spot, and this is closely related to the stand which must be old, aged with a lot of dead decaying trees. Unfortunately, this has become an increasingly difficult condition to meet in recent years. According to statistical data, there are about 500 breeding pairs in Poland. It is a species under strict protection. When it comes to food, there is no surprise here. Like most birds of this species, the diet consists mainly of insect larvae, it extracts caterpillars and small insects from a swollen tree.