03/11/2025
The European green woodpecker is a striking, medium-sized woodpecker widespread across Europe. It has vibrant green plumage, a red crown, and a black mask around the eyes. Unlike many woodpeckers, it spends considerable time foraging on the ground, where it primarily feeds on ants using its long, sticky tongue. Its loud, laughing call—known as the “yaffle”—is a distinctive sound in woodlands, parks, and open countryside. This species nests in tree cavities it excavates, raising its young in sheltered forested habitats.