The United Kingdom is home to three breeding species of woodpeckers: the great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, and lesser spotted woodpecker. In addition, the Eurasian wryneck, a close relative, now appears only as a scarce migrant during spring and autumn.
This article introduces all woodpeckers recorded in the UK, covering their identification, habitat, and behavior to help you recognize them in the field. We highlight their distribution across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, noting which are common, which are declining, and which have vanished as breeders. Together, these species reveal how woodland health and traditional landscapes shape the rhythm of the UK’s forests and parks.
Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
- Identification: Medium-sized black-and-white woodpecker with bold shoulder patches, red under-tail, and males showing a red nape.
- Where found: Widespread across the UK – in woodlands, parks, and gardens with mature trees.
- Region status: Native and resident; recently recolonised Ireland naturally.
- Conservation status: Least Concern globally; stable and expanding in the UK, though vulnerable to harsh winters and habitat fragmentation.
The great spotted woodpecker is a medium-sized resident species and the most common woodpecker in the United Kingdom, measuring 20-24 centimeters (7.9-9.4 inches) in length. It shows striking black-and-white plumage with large white shoulder patches, a black crown, and bright red under-tail coverts. Males are marked by a vivid red nape, while females lack this patch. Juveniles have a red crown that gradually fades as they mature.
In flight, it has a distinctive undulating or “bouncing” pattern, and when perched, it often clings to trunks or branches, frequently staying on the hidden side. Its presence is usually betrayed by a sharp “kik!” call or by the rapid drumming males perform in spring.
Across the UK, the great spotted woodpecker occupies almost any wooded habitat in England, Wales, and Scotland, from broadleaved and mixed forests to parks, gardens, and farmland with scattered trees. In Northern Ireland it is more abundant in the east, though its range has been gradually expanding in recent years. It excavates a new nesting cavity each year, most often in the trunk of a live or dead tree. The diet is highly varied: in summer it focuses on woodboring beetle larvae and other insects, while in winter it turns to nuts, seeds, tree sap, and occasionally the eggs and chicks of other birds.
The population in Britain is stable and increasing, with natural recolonisation recorded in Ireland and the Isle of Man. Although generally secure, it may suffer local declines after severe winters or where woodland becomes heavily fragmented.
Eurasian green woodpecker (Picus viridis)
- Identification: The largest UK woodpecker, green above with a yellow rump, pale belly, red crown, and a black ‘moustache’ – with a red center in males.
- Where found: Widespread in England and Wales, scarce in southern Scotland – in semi-open woodland, heathland, parks, and gardens.
- Region status: Native resident, but more localized than other woodpeckers in the UK.
- Conservation status: Least Concern globally; vulnerable to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, and harsh winters.
The Eurasian green woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in the United Kingdom, measuring 30-36 centimeters (11.8-14.2 inches) in length. It has a heavy body, short tail, and long, strong bill, with green upperparts, a paler yellow-green belly, and a vivid yellow rump that shows clearly in flight. Its crown and nape are bright red, while a black ‘moustache’ stripe is present on both sexes but marked with red in males. Juveniles are duller, heavily barred and spotted, with a less distinct face pattern.
In flight it shows a bouncing, undulating pattern, while its loud, laughing “yaffle” call is a key identifier. Unlike other British woodpeckers, it drums only rarely.
This species is widespread in England and Wales, occurring in open woodland, forest edges, heathland, orchards, and even gardens with mature trees nearby. It is scarce in southern Scotland and largely absent from the far north and from Ireland. It requires trees for nesting but prefers open ground nearby for foraging, feeding mainly on ants by probing the soil and anthills with its long tongue. It also takes other insects, earthworms, and occasionally fruits and berries. Nesting cavities are excavated in soft or decaying wood of unbroken trees.
The UK population is considered stable, but it is sensitive to harsh winters, habitat loss through agricultural intensification, and the decline of ant-rich grasslands.
Lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor)
- Identification: Tiny sparrow-sized woodpecker with bold black-and-white barring on the back and wings; males have a red crown, females lack red.
- Where found: Southern England with scattered populations in Wales and parts of northern England – in mature deciduous woodland with old, dead trees.
- Region status: Native but rare resident, declining and highly localized.
- Conservation status: Least Concern globally; in the UK, severe population declines linked to habitat loss and competition from larger woodpeckers.
The lesser spotted woodpecker is the smallest and rarest resident woodpecker in the United Kingdom, measuring only 14-16.5 centimeters (5.5-6.5 inches) in length. It has a compact build, short bill, and distinctive black-and-white barring across the back and wings. The underparts are pale with fine streaking along the flanks. Males are marked by a bright red crown, while females have a plain pale head. Juveniles resemble duller adults with heavier streaking.
It is often overlooked because it forages quietly high in the tree canopy, creeping along branches and fluttering between them. Its call is a high, squeaky “gee-gee-gee,” and it produces long, even drumming rolls during the breeding season.
This elusive species is mainly confined to mature deciduous woodlands in southern England, with scattered populations in Wales and parts of northern England. It is absent from Scotland and Ireland. It favors areas with plenty of old and decaying trees, where it excavates nest holes in soft wood. Its diet is almost entirely insects, especially caterpillars, aphids, beetles, and ants, shifting in winter to wood-boring larvae hidden beneath bark.
In the UK, this woodpecker has declined sharply due to the loss of ancient woodland, removal of dead trees, and fragmentation of suitable habitat. Its numbers may also be affected by competition from the larger and more adaptable great spotted woodpecker.
Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
- Identification: Small, sparrow-sized woodpecker with cryptic grey-brown plumage, fine barring, and a dark stripe running down the back.
- Where found: Along the south and east coasts of England, the Isles of Scilly, and occasionally in the Scottish Highlands.
- Region status: Former breeder in England, now only a rare passage migrant seen mainly in spring and autumn.
- Conservation status: Least Concern globally; UK declines linked to loss of orchards and meadows, reduced ant populations, and habitat change.
The Eurasian wryneck is a small, long-tailed woodpecker measuring 16-18 centimeters (6.3-7.1 inches) in length. Its plumage is intricately mottled in grey, brown, and buff tones, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark. A dark line runs from the nape down the back, and the underparts are barred with subtle brown streaking.
Unlike typical woodpeckers, it has a slender bill and weak feet, and does not drum or excavate its own nest holes. When threatened, it performs its characteristic “wryneck” behavior, twisting its head in a snake-like motion. Its call is a high-pitched, repeated “quee-quee-quee,” but it is rarely heard in Britain.
Once a common breeder across much of southern and central England, the wryneck has disappeared as a nesting species in the UK, with the last confirmed breeding in 2002. It now appears only as a scarce passage migrant, mainly during spring and autumn, when Scandinavian birds migrate to Africa. It is most often seen along the southern and eastern coasts of England, on Orkney, Shetland, and the Isles of Scilly.
Unlike other woodpeckers, it forages mainly on the ground, feeding almost exclusively on ants and their larvae. The UK decline has been linked to the loss of traditional orchards, meadows, and open woodland, as well as the reduction of ant-rich foraging areas due to agricultural intensification.
Protecting the UK’s woodland drummers
Woodpeckers add a unique rhythm to the UK’s woodlands, from the loud, explosive drumming of the great spotted woodpecker to the quiet canopy movements of the lesser spotted. Though they all belong to the same family, each species has carved out its own niche: the green woodpecker searches lawns and meadows for ants, the lesser spotted keeps to mature woodland canopies, and the wryneck, once a breeder here, is now only a rare migrant pausing on its way between Scandinavia and Africa.
Their presence tells a story about the health of our landscapes. The great spotted woodpecker has adapted well to parks and gardens, but the rarer species have struggled as ancient woodland, orchards, and traditional meadows have disappeared. Today, only three woodpeckers breed in the UK, and one of them is now extremely scarce.
Whether you’re hearing the rapid drumming of a territory claim or the laughing call of a green woodpecker, these birds remain some of the most distinctive woodland characters. Protecting the old trees, dead wood, and insect-rich habitats they rely on is key to keeping that woodland rhythm alive.