What they like

Old deciduous woodland with clutter: thick oaks, dead branches, rotten stumps. And quiet. So give them real trees, not a neatly clipped park. Leave a few dead trunks standing (safely away from paths). Hanging nest boxes don't help much: they wants a soft, old trunk to peck out themself. In garden and yard: plant oak, hazel, rowan. And let a corner be "not tidy."

Ecological importance

This woodpecker is a forest builder. He chisels nest cavities that later are perfect for tits and treecreepers too. On the menu: insects and larvae from bark and dead wood, especially beetles. Less dead wood = less food = fewer woodpeckers. He also likes berries and nuts.

When in the Netherlands

All year round. Can call enthusiastically in spring; doesn't drum very often.

Status

Rare breeding bird. Mostly in old deciduous forests in the east and south. Vulnerable because of the loss of old forest and dead wood.