Black woodpecker holes

In the spruce forest, the black woodpecker has paid a visit to old rotting tree trunks. It has drilled holes, in search of bark beetles or carpenter ants that it feeds on. This odd black bird with a red crown is the biggest woodpecker in the Alps. It likes forests with large trees that are spaced out and carves out its dwelling high in the trunks. It incessantly hammers away at tree trunks to seduce a female, defend its territory or even search for food. Once they are abandoned, these dwelling become home to other lodgers such as boreal owls, bees, martens…