How to welcome the Great Spotted Woodpecker in Manchester, England, United Kingdom

About the Great Spotted Woodpecker

The great spotted woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recolonisation of Ireland in the first decade of the 21st century and to vagrancy to North America. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees to find food or excavate nest holes, and also drum for contact and territorial advertisement; like other woodpeckers, they have anatomical adaptations to manage the physical stresses from the hammering action.

Source: Wikipedia

Ecological traits of the Great Spotted Woodpecker

• Nesting : large-cavity nester.
• Preferred feeder food : fat balls, seed feeder.

Matching nest box plan

For the Great Spotted Woodpecker, the reference plan from nichoirs.net is:

Recommended internal dimensions: 150 × 280 × 150 mm (width × height × depth).

Entrance hole diameter: 45-50 mm.

See the full plan on nichoirs.net

Installing and maintaining the nest box — Great Spotted Woodpecker

Installation

• Height : Not documented in the selected sources.
• Orientation : East or South-East (Strix aluco, Corvus monedula, Dryocopus martius). South or South-East (Tyto alba, Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni).
• Support : Tree (Strix aluco, Dryocopus martius). Pole or exterior wall (Corvus monedula). Pole, against a wall, building, barn, bell tower (Tyto alba, Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni).
• When to install : Autumn recommended. March or April possible. Early May to avoid occupation by earlier species.
• Precautions : Not documented in the selected sources.

Annual cleaning

• Frequency : Once a year after each breeding season.
• Method : Remove old nest materials. Brush or clean with boiling water to kill parasites. Let dry. Burn the inner wall if possible (with a blowtorch).
• Products to avoid : Do not use insecticides, flea treatments, soap or detergent. Use boiling water.
• When to install : After the breeding season, from September. Before February for winter occupants.
• Precautions : Put a small handful of clean hay or wood shavings (not straw) after cleaning and drying. Gloves must be worn during cleaning. It is normal that some eggs do not hatch or that young die.

Sources: LPO, Natagora, Vogelbescherming, RSPB, NABU, nichoirs.net.

Three ways to help

• Install a nest box — Free species-tailored construction plans and video tutorials.
• Install a feeder — Choose the feeder and seeds based on the bird's feeding habits.
• Grow a natural pantry — Native local plants that sustainably feed this bird and biodiversity.

Sources and credits

• Observation data: eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ebird.org)
• Source: Wikipedia
• Plans and dimensions: nichoirs.net