Earlier this morning I was cycling through Ashton Court in Bristol, and heard a woodpecker noise. I looked over and in a tree hollow there was a medium-sized bird, which looked entirely black, that looked back at me and then turned around to carry on tapping at the tree with its beak.
I've had a look online and this appears to be a black woodpecker, which is unusual for the UK..? Should I be reporting this anywhere?
Hi helsbels and welcome to the forum.
I have to say I would be extremely sceptical about a sighting of a black woodpecker. They are not on the British List and claims to have seen them in the UK have never really been confirmed. They are quite widespread in Europe and generally inhabit dense mature forest but they never seem to have made it across the Channel.There's a photo of one here. As you can see it has a distinctive red crown.
Could it have been something like a Jackdaw or Crow?
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Welcome helsbels.
One learns to never say never when it comes to birding, but a UK Black Woodpecker is very very unlikely. Woodpeckers, as a rule, don't have any predeliction for long distance travel so the Black Woodpecker population in France is very happy to stay right where it is. Hopping the channel would be a real feat.
Black Woodpeckers are enormous compared with even our Green Woodpeckers and, as Teejay has said, the red crown is pretty distinctive.
JBNTS
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
If it is right,and I for one am sceptical,you will be overun with birders.Get the tea stall out you will make a fortune!!
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
thanks for your quick responses.. what I'd like to know, is whether any other bird that's black would tap away at the tree with its beak?
i dont remember seeing a red crown, but it was within the tree hollow so it may have been in the shadow. i will have to take my camera in future..
Helsbels said:what I'd like to know, is whether any other bird that's black would tap away at the tree with its beak?
When you say tapping, do you mean drumming rapidly as a woodpecker does or just pecking? If it was the latter I think there could be many birds that would peck at a tree hollow especially if it was a bit rotten. There are often grubs or beetles in such wood. Alternatively, perhaps it was enlarging a hole for a nest.
A photo would be good if you can get one.
Hi- just to add again Black Woodpeckers are ENORMOUS :))))
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
Just a thought, jackdaws are hole nesting birds, we have a number occupying tree cavities at the Lodge at the moment, large woodpecker sized with a fairly substantial beak...
Warden Intern at Otmoor.