The Black Woodpecker is a large (approximately 18 inches long) species of woodpecker that lives across northern parts of Eurasia. The species is expanding westward into northwest Europe.
Black Woodpeckers have an overall black body plumage, with a red crown. In males the red extends over the entire top of the head; in females the red only appears in the back. The feathers end in a scraggly crest at the back of the head.
Black Woodpeckers prefer to nest in old forests, using tree cavities for nesting. They feed on insects found by drilling into dead tree bark.
