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Ireland's Wildlife

Irish wildlife, nature and biodiversity

You are here: Home / Features / Feature Articles / The return of Great Spotted Woodpeckers

The return of Great Spotted Woodpeckers

November 3, 2013 by Calvin Jones 65 Comments

Over the last five years woodland on Ireland’s east coast has started to reverberate with the drumming of a very welcome blow-in. This feature documenting that recolonisation was first published in the October 2013 edition of Bird Watching magazine in the UK.

Great Spotted Woodpecker in flight
Adult great spotted woodpeckers at a nest hole in Co. Wicklow woodland. (Photo by Mark Carmody).

Ireland is home to some truly fantastic wildlife and offers some outstanding birding opportunities. But for all of its undoubted birding charms, one thing visiting UK birders are often surprised by are the obvious absentees.

There are more than 450 bird species on the official Irish list, but being isolated for more than 8,000 years has its drawbacks. The island gets plenty of passing visitors each spring and autumn, is an important wintering ground for waders and wildfowl, and is the first point of “landfall” for many an American vagrant, but when it comes to breeding birds Ireland falls some way short of its nearest European neighbours.

You wouldn’t think a narrow strip of water like the Irish sea could present much of a barrier to birds, but relatively sedentary species like the tawny owl, willow tit, marsh tit, nuthatch and others are notably absent. Perhaps the most curious gap in Ireland’s avifauna though, until recently at least, was the complete absence of woodpeckers.

Woodpeckers are well represented across continental Europe, but even the most widespread and cosmopolitan species, the practically ubiquitous great spotted woodpecker, was only ever recorded as a rare winter visitor to Ireland, with solitary birds turning up from Scandinavia and Northern Europe during documented “irruption” years, and then usually in small numbers.

There is some evidence that great spotted woodpeckers were once a native breeding species in Ireland — most notably the femurs of two birds recovered from an excavation of the Edenvale cave complex near Ennis in Co. Clare in the early 1900s. These were subsequently carbon dated back to the Bronze Age. Details of when exactly Ireland lost its woodpeckers are shrouded in the mists of history, but most experts concur that their extinction here is most likely to coincide with the widespread deforestation of the island during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Great spotted woodpeckers… an Irish rarity

To give you an idea of just how unusual it was to see a great spotted woodpecker in Ireland let’s take a look at the sighing records over the last few decades.

In the 15 years between 1989 and 2004 there were only three confirmed reports of great spotted woodpeckers on the island of Ireland. The following three years saw a change in that pattern, with three records in 2005, six in 2006 and a further four in 2007.

All bar one of the historic Irish records occurred between September and April, with the majority falling between November and February. But from 2005 onwards there seemed to be a shift in that trend, with birds turning up earlier in the year.

A young red-crowned bird seen in a Co. Wicklow garden on Ireland’s east coast in September 2005 sparked debate in the Irish birding community. Could this be a locally bred bird, or just an early dispersal from Britain or the continent? There was no way to know for sure.

In 2006 rumours began to circulate that a pair of great spotted woodpeckers had reared young successfully in Northern Ireland, then in early June 2007 a bird was heard calling in prime mixed-woodland habitat in Co. Wicklow. A pattern started to emerge, a pattern that hinted at the tantalising prospect of great spotted woodpeckers naturally re-colonising Ireland.

2008 turned out to be a pivotal year in the story of Irish woodpeckers. Several reports of drumming birds in early spring were a sign of things to come. Then Dick Coombes, coordinator of the Countryside Bird Survey with BirdWatch Ireland (the Irish Bird Life International partner) and a member on the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC), found a pair of great spotted woodpeckers engaged in classic courtship behaviour in a Wicklow woodland. He subsequently lost track of them, but during the course of that year there were no fewer than 20 woodpecker sightings involving at least 23 birds. Significantly 14 of those records were reported between April and August, during the great spotted woodpecker breeding season.

The push to find breeding proof

Juvenille Great Spotted Woodpecker at feeder in Wicklow
The “original” juvenille great spotted woodpecker photographed at a peanut feeder in Co. Wicklow in July 2008 (Photo by Dick Coombes)

The real excitement came in July of 2008, when a red-crowned juvenile great spotted woodpecker turned up at a bird feeder in a County Wicklow garden. Speculation was rife as to the origin of this young bird. A general consensus emerged: surely it was too early in the year, and the bird too young, for this to be an overseas interloper.

Could this be the first ever record of an Irish-bred woodpecker? Dick Coombes’s first thought was that he simply had to see the bird for himself.

“We get so many outlandish claims at BirdWatch HQ,” said Dick. “Even when I did see the bird I was hyper cautious because it was late July and there was an outside chance it was an early bird out of Scandinavia – perhaps a forerunner of an irruption.”

The initial sighting was followed by reports of another three juveniles in County Wicklow, and one from adjacent Co. Dublin. Autumn / winter 2008 failed to produce typical irruption-style woodpecker sightings in Ireland, and bird observatories along Britain’s east coast reported no sign of woodpecker movement there. Everything pointed towards these 2008 juveniles being Irish bred birds, but the crucial unequivocal proof was still missing.

Dick Coombes was determined to find that proof. He galvanised a team of like-minded volunteers to scour Wicklow’s woodlands for signs of breeding woodpeckers during the 2009 season.

“The team is very much an ad hoc group of birders smitten by woodpeckers. They are good in the field, have a good ear, patience and stamina, and can be trusted to be discreet about nest sites,” said Dick. “I kind of assumed the role of coordinator, as in addition to finding my own nests, I make a point of getting to all nests found and make repeat visits as much as possible to gauge success.”

Surveying great spotted woodpeckers in Irish woodland is an activity well and truly in its infancy. Although they were all experienced birders the “woodpecker team” was on a steep learning curve as they tried to pin down the birds.

You might think a blackbird-sized bird with striking black and white plumage, liberally daubed with scarlet, would be easy to see, but great spotted woodpeckers are notoriously elusive. Often solitary, they tend to favour higher branches in the forest canopy, and have an irritating knack for sitting motionless on the far side of a branch, just out of sight. They can also be frustratingly silent when they’re not drumming, making them tricky to locate, especially when you’re searching for a relatively small pool of birds across a large expanse of woodland.

Drumming then was the obvious starting point, and that’s where the team focussed its initial efforts. They soon found drumming birds, but confirming established pairs and occupied nest holes proved a much trickier business.

Gradually long, often fruitless hours in the woods began to pay off, more drummers were located, sexes established and pairs confirmed. As spring progressed the scenario began to repeat itself up and down County Wicklow. It soon became clear that the scale of this woodpecker colonisation was much larger than anyone had realised.

But that elusive proof of breeding was still missing.

The breakthrough finally came on the 2nd of May 2009, when the first nest hole was found… and a birds head peeked out of the opening, showing it was occupied. The newly excavated nest was about a metre below an old nest hole… evidence perhaps that the birds had bred in the same tree before. The team found a second occupied nest the following day, and by the 24th of May 2009 had confirmed seven occupied nests in total.

Great spotted woodpeckers are now well and truly established in Wicklow, with the number of confirmed occupied nests growing year on year from the initial seven in 2009 to twenty five in 2013. The true extent of the budding Irish population is probably significantly larger.

“In each of the last few years, you need to add five to ten cases of proved breeding at other sites, like juveniles or birds carrying food,” explained Dick. “On top of that we would know of at least fifteen to twenty sites where birds were present but breeding was not proved, mainly due to time constraints. It’s not difficult to imagine that the Republic of Ireland population could be in the order of 50 to 75 pairs now.”

Where did they come from?

An adult Great Spotted Woodpecker at a nest hole with food
An adult Great Spotted Woodpecker at a nest hole with food (Photo by Mark Carmody)

One of the burning questions the woodpecker team had once they’d successfully established breeding was the origin of this new Irish population. Where had these birds come from, and what had triggered this range expansion into Ireland?

Britain, of course, was the obvious candidate — but there was also the possibility that Irish birds had originated from northern European populations, arriving during irruption years and staying on to breed. To find out the team secured funding from The Heritage Council, and and turned to geneticists at University College Dublin for help (McDevitt et al, “The origins of Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major colonizing Ireland revealed by mitochondrial DNA”, Bird Study). Using shed feathers from vacated nest holes the scientists compared the DNA of the new Irish population with established populations in Britain and on the continent.

The study confirmed that the Irish colonists are almost certainly of British rather than continental origin. It also suggests that the Irish population is derived from more than one location in Britain, which bodes well for its genetic diversity.

In Britain the great spotted woodpecker has seen a dramatic increase in its population over the last forty years — with growth of around 400%. Despite their inherent reluctance to travel, sheer pressure of numbers may well have forced young British woodpeckers on the West coast to make the relatively short hop across the Irish sea in search of new breeding territories.

Looking to the future

Feather from Great Spotted Woodpecker nest for DNA analysis
Collecting feathers from Great Spotted Woodpecker nest holes for DNA analysis (Photo by Dick Coombes)

While great spotted woodpeckers are habitually a sedentary species, they are spreading slowly from their Wicklow stronghold. Last year a nest was confirmed in County Wexford and another in County Kilkenny. Juveniles were seen in County Louth last year and at least one other year, there is suspected breeding at several locations in counties Dublin and Meath, and other unconfirmed reports from counties Offaly and Roscommon.

“While the increase in 5 years has been slow enough, it has been steady,” said Dick. “There appear to be plenty of woodland invertebrates to sustain adults and hungry young in the nest. Great spotted woodpeckers are adaptable to a range of habitats and there are now dozens of documented cases of birds taking supplementary food in gardens. So I think while the stronghold may well remain in Wicklow they should be in all counties in ten years, with a big bias in eastern and southern counties.”

It’s still very early days for Ireland’s woodpeckers. Compared to Britain great spotted woodpeckers are still very scarce, even in their Wicklow stronghold. But all of the evidence suggests they are building on a strong foundation, and that given time, and a little luck, the sound of this versatile and adaptable woodpecker’s drumming will eventually be heard throughout the country.

A Numbers Game:

Great Spotted Woodpeckers in Ireland

No of NestsYear
72009
122010
182011
192012
252013
Stats on Great Spotted Woodpecker nests in Ireland

 

Filed Under: Feature Articles, Featured Tagged With: Bird Watching Magazine, birding, Birdwatch Ireland, Dick Coombes, Great Spotted Woodpecker, wildlife writing

About Calvin Jones

Calvin Jones is a freelance writer, author, birder and lifelong wildlife enthusiast. He is founder and editor of IrelandsWildlife.com and founder and wildlife guide of Ireland's Wildlife Tours offering wildlife and birding holidays on Ireland's south coast.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Floss says

    November 3, 2013 at 13:39

    Great article Calvin, a very informative read.

    Reply
    • Calvin Jones says

      November 3, 2013 at 13:57

      Thanks Floss. Great to get a feature in Bird Watching too — have written a couple of reviews for them, but this was the first full length feature… so a significant step up.

      Reply
      • Thomas noonan says

        October 19, 2021 at 11:38

        Hello calvin, just seen a woodpecker in our garden eating some brown bread I put out for the wild birds I live in askamore gorey co wexford, if you get this message ant want to email me, it’s [email protected]

        Reply
      • Thomas noonan says

        October 19, 2021 at 11:40

        Just seen a woodpecker in my garden I live in askamore gorey co wexford

        Reply
        • Barbara says

          May 31, 2022 at 18:34

          Hi. I live outside Wexford and since last week I have a female woodpecker visiting my bird house every day. She latches ion to the outside of bird house and leans in to eat the peanuts. She visits a few times every day. We have a forest at end of our garden so maybe that is where she is nesting.

          Reply
    • Fionnuala says

      July 21, 2022 at 14:02

      Hi I have a regular woodpecker visiting .y garden for the last few weeks . Camolin wexford.

      Reply
  2. chriscassidy10 says

    November 3, 2013 at 19:02

    A very informative article Calvin, i would dearly love to see and Capture a Woodpecker , a bird i still have to tick .

    Reply
    • Calvin Jones says

      November 3, 2013 at 19:09

      By “capture” I hope you mean photograph Christine 😉 . Sounds like a trip to Wicklow in spring / early summer is in order.

      Reply
      • Denny Lawlor says

        June 5, 2022 at 18:57

        Calvin. Delighted to say in the past a beautiful Woodpecker arrive in my garden and is busy eating peanuts from the bird feeder.
        But more to my surprise it was busy feeding two young birds this morning.
        June 5 2022
        What a delightful experience to know that they have been nesting close to where I live in Ballymurn not far from Wexford town

        Reply
  3. Robert Power (@Robert_C_Power) says

    November 11, 2013 at 15:55

    Sometimes woodpeckers are described as keystone species like. Are there any woodland birds or mammals in Wicklow that may be affected by them? Hole nestbreeders?

    Also, could the conifer plantations of the west support them if broadleaf was not available? I know in Europe they can survive sometimes in confer plantations but in less abundance but I suppose Irish plantation are far less species rich.

    Reply
    • Calvin Jones says

      November 11, 2013 at 16:34

      The woodpeckers are likely to have a positive impact for other hole nesting birds that don’t excavate their own nests (like tits for example). Great spotted woodpeckers are actually pretty cosmopolitan and will use conifers in the absence of their preferred broadleaf habitat as long as there’s enough food / dead wood available. At the moment though because there are still relatively few birds, and plenty of prime habitat, the current birds have their pick of the best spots.

      Reply
      • Robert Power (@Robert_C_Power) says

        November 11, 2013 at 18:52

        Its striking how few hole breeders are present in Ireland compared to the rest of Europe. I am also intrigued by how palaeoentomology studies have identified so many woodland insects that previously occurred in Ireland. In the same way I wonder how many hole breeders once existed in Ireland but simply never left skeletal evidence like the capercaillie and woodpecker.

        Reply
  4. Orla Sheehan says

    May 27, 2014 at 15:36

    Great article. Having lived in the high Alps in Switzerland and watched this great bird come to my feeder even in the depts of snowy Winter, I have missed their presence since I returned to Dublin. Looking forward to seeing one eventually in my Irish front garden. Great news.

    Reply
  5. flan reidy says

    June 9, 2014 at 20:12

    Spotted two birds on Tory hill south kKilkenny

    Reply
  6. kyle says

    November 13, 2014 at 19:49

    hi calvin james im in third year and im drawing this bird just wonder if you know any artists that draw these that i could do for my support studies

    Reply
  7. Clifford says

    December 27, 2014 at 18:27

    Pretty sure I heard a woodpecker drumming in a massive ash tree near our house on christmas day close to dusk. We live outside Kingscourt on the Monaghan Cavan border, I was listening again today but heard nothing.

    Reply
    • Dave Pearson says

      August 13, 2022 at 10:00

      Hi Calvin. We!also live near Askamore in North Wexford. For the last few years Great spotted Wood peckers have been eating peanuts from our bird feeder. This summer a juvenile was also feeding. Sometimes coming with the parent bird. Very exciting. However there has been no sign of them for the last few weeks. Am wondering why??

      Reply
  8. Laura Byrne says

    May 31, 2015 at 16:56

    Saw a woodpecker at our bird feeder this morning in Kilmacanogue, co. Wicklow, not shy kept coming back. Have photos

    Reply
  9. John Forsyth says

    June 3, 2015 at 21:08

    Hi.

    Just located a great spotted woodpecker feeding chick in nest. Enniscorthy area

    Reply
  10. Richard says

    October 7, 2015 at 22:33

    Heard a woodpecker drumming near Sallins today

    Reply
  11. Kevin Concannon says

    April 14, 2017 at 10:46

    I think I heard 2 woodpeckers in mayo this morning on my farm

    Reply
  12. sarah Mc says

    November 27, 2018 at 17:32

    Great spotted woodpecker feeding on our bird feeders for past four days

    Reply
  13. Andrewhand says

    June 13, 2019 at 18:34

    There are two currently feeding in my back garden a youngster being feed by a parent eating peanuts.

    Reply
  14. Paul says

    June 24, 2019 at 20:24

    A pair of great spotted woodpeckers feeding at our peanut feeders in our garden for the last week Craigavon Co. Down

    Reply
  15. Clare Gowran says

    June 30, 2019 at 19:14

    30.06.19 Have just seen a Great Spotted Woodpecker, an hour ago, feeding at my bird feeder here in West Wicklow on the mountain side of Blessington lakes. I saw one here, for the first time, in the autumn time a year and a half ago also. Amazing to see…

    Reply
  16. Jennifer says

    July 5, 2019 at 16:31

    Just saw a great spotted woodpecker on a peanut feeder in Co. Cavan!

    Reply
  17. Sinead Redmond says

    September 11, 2019 at 05:06

    Also regularly hear woodpecker drumming in our large oak and beech trees last 2 years in Enniscorthy rural area

    Reply
  18. Michael Stafford says

    November 19, 2019 at 11:22

    Spotted woodpecker in Taghmon area Co Wexford on 5th November 2019.

    Reply
  19. Marie-Louise Hughes says

    March 6, 2020 at 10:37

    Photographed a Great Spotted Woodpecker in my back garden last week. Dungannon Co Tyrone

    Reply
  20. Seamus O'Neill says

    April 5, 2020 at 14:34

    Have a lovely video clip of a woodpecker on a bird feeder in Cavan. Last Friday it flew into our conservatory window.
    We nursed it back to life overnight with a combination of heat (hot water bottle ) and a little sugar and water. Next morning – yesterday it sat on my hand for a few seconds before flying off.

    Reply
  21. KEVIN TODD says

    April 24, 2020 at 16:57

    Just heard one along the Tollpath on the Lagan near the Lockkeepers Cafe.

    Reply
  22. KEVIN TODD says

    April 24, 2020 at 17:00

    Just heard a woodpecker along the Tollpath on the Lagan near the Lockkeepers Cafe. 24/4/20

    Reply
  23. Terence O Leary says

    May 1, 2020 at 20:32

    Have a woodpecker in our woods in Cork .

    Reply
  24. Pat Barron says

    June 14, 2020 at 14:57

    Spotted a male great spotted woodpecker feeding its chick on Sunday 14th June 2020 near wexford Town, have photos and video of them.

    Reply
  25. Ella Barron says

    December 28, 2020 at 13:31

    We Have a Greater Spotter Woodpecker On the Bird nuts in our Garden and we re all delighted to see it we never did see one before in Northern Ireland ,such great excitement it comes each day at Noon to the Bird feeder ,such a beautiful Bird .

    Nuttscorner CoAntrim

    Reply
  26. Gerry Creaven says

    January 7, 2021 at 10:07

    I have seen a woodpecker eating out of my garden bird feeder, they were picking at the fat balls ❤️ Theirs a wood only to miles from my house…! Gerry from Galway

    Reply
  27. Niall says

    January 9, 2021 at 10:17

    There is a pair of wood peckers in the wood behind my house. Wexford

    Reply
  28. paul dowling says

    January 22, 2021 at 14:45

    Spotted
    Great Spotted woodpecker feed at bird feeder 22/1/2021 2.35pm
    Raheengraney South Wicklow,

    Reply
    • Paula says

      March 13, 2021 at 15:18

      Male Woodpecker on birdfeeder Parkbridge, 14 Feb 21 and comes back quite often

      Reply
  29. Luke Grennan says

    January 23, 2021 at 16:33

    I saw and photographed a pair in my garden in Tullogher, Co. Kilkenny today. One was picking at an opening in an ESB pole. This is the first time I have seen them in this country.

    Reply
  30. Kerrie Travers says

    February 15, 2021 at 17:17

    My dad has just shown me a video he took on his camera of a woodpecker drumming one of our massive old chestnut (I think) trees out the back of our family home i grew up in in cabra co. down. He said there hasn’t been one around for at least 20years until now. Was amazing seeing the video!

    Reply
  31. Tracy Millea says

    February 19, 2021 at 00:04

    Today, I videoed a male woodpecker feeding in our garden. I have also seen the female feeding too on numerous occasions. Very shy birds . If I go near the window to picture they fly away!! Feeling quiet privileged to have them come to my garden. I live beside Foxcover Wood, Kilkenny.

    Reply
  32. Catherine Rice says

    March 1, 2021 at 12:33

    Out walking in Emo Laois today, I heard knocking up high in a tree. It is the second time I have heard
    the same woodpecker sounding drumming, in Emo. I hope it means they are breeding locally.

    Reply
  33. Sinead says

    March 28, 2021 at 16:46

    Heard a woodpecker drumming in woods in south Wexford yesterday, got a recording but couldn’t see it.

    Reply
  34. Eamon Glennon says

    April 5, 2021 at 00:07

    Videoed one today at my bird feeder in North Roscommon. Excited….. 🙂

    Reply
  35. James Collier says

    April 25, 2021 at 12:55

    Heard one yesterday morning at my mother’s in Thomastown, Kilkenny. I couldn’t catch a glimpse of the actual bird but it was definitely the sound of one drumming.

    Reply
  36. Niall Ó Catháin says

    April 26, 2021 at 10:23

    Woodpecker heard for first time last year and again this year near Driom nDamh ancient woodland, Sleacht Néill, Maghera Co. Derry.

    Reply
  37. Hilary says

    May 22, 2021 at 10:24

    Woodpecker landed on low wall in rural garden outside Hillsborough, Co Down. Stayed only 45 seconds so frustratingly no photo.

    Reply
  38. Jim Donnelly says

    May 24, 2021 at 17:23

    I just spotted a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in Clogrennane Forest Park Carlow.

    Reply
  39. Michael Collins says

    May 26, 2021 at 12:47

    Never saw or heard a woodpecker until one turned up on 14/05/21 in our garden… He’s around every day since (2 weeks) with numerous daily visits to the bird feeders. He’s very aggressive towards other birds eating from the feeders… I’ve loads of clear photos’ and videos as the feeders are close to our kitchen window.
    (Near, Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny)

    Reply
  40. Richard says

    May 28, 2021 at 10:18

    I just heard one drumming on a large beech tree in Johnstown Castle Wexforrd. I saw two flying nearby a few days later

    Reply
  41. Damian Campbell says

    June 1, 2021 at 18:59

    Spotted 2 South Belfast Lagan Meadows last week

    Reply
  42. Dara O'Malley says

    June 2, 2021 at 15:06

    We’ve had several coming to our birdfeeders for a few years – neighbours too. Now they’re around every day. Spotted a nest, high in a tree with a grub carrying bird, feeding noisy young. Just outside Downpatrick.

    Reply
  43. Michael Hasson says

    June 6, 2021 at 10:06

    Hi I’ve got two great spotted woodpeckers in my garden now. The female feeding from a nut basket and a male sometimes watches from fence … location Feeny co Derry

    Reply
  44. John Doyle says

    June 11, 2021 at 20:06

    Saw a single Great spotted woodpecker climbing up a tree in Ferns Co. Wexford over the bank holiday weekend

    Reply
  45. Sylvia says

    June 13, 2021 at 16:00

    We have a woodpecker visiting our garden almost daily, took me ages to identify it as my old wildlife book told me that there were none here .we’re in wexford and since seeing it I’m hearing about more and more sightings within the county

    Reply
  46. Shane says

    June 17, 2021 at 17:43

    Unfortunately one flew into my parents conservatory window and died. Beautiful bird.

    Reply
  47. Mary Cotter says

    June 17, 2021 at 18:01

    We’ve just found a dead Woodpecker outside our conservatory, We’ve seen it a few mornings lately feeding on bird feeders. It’s so sad.

    Reply
  48. MDif says

    June 23, 2021 at 19:53

    We have a pair in our garden in Co Wicklow. They especially love peanuts and are very cautious.

    Reply
  49. David Gray says

    June 29, 2021 at 12:53

    One at the peanuts on my bird feeder in Ravensdale, Co. Louth this morning and managed to get 45 seconds of video.

    Reply
  50. Simon says

    July 6, 2021 at 09:29

    We have a pair of great spotted woodpeckers using our bird feeder near Borris, Co Carlow.

    Reply
  51. Margaret Cuddihy says

    December 6, 2021 at 21:54

    Definitely heard a woodpecker yesterday and today in the wood beside us (Co Kilkenny) . Never heard one at this time of year before?

    Reply
  52. Margaret Cuddihy says

    December 6, 2021 at 21:59

    Definitely heard a woodpecker in the wood beside us (Co Kilkenny) today and yesterday.

    Reply

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