Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Great Snipe (Gallinago media)
Biggest woodpecker in WP (crow size). All black with red crown (male) or nape (female). Unmistakable. Flight Nutcracker-like, "inefficient" and fluttering, almost without undulations.
Sound:Most sounds diagnostic and very far reaching. Drumming very powerful and long (1.8 - 3 sec.) with slightly falling intensity and accelerated ending. Each beat clearly distinguishable as in Tree-toed Woodpecker, but duration much longer. Drumming:
Flight call a characteristic resonant trill "krrreekrrreekrrreekrrree". A characteristic short, sharp and plaintive "keeaaa" with descending pitch often uttered when excited. Song a quick series of "klee" calls resembling Green Woodpecker, but with a purer tone and upward infliction at end of each syllable. A few slower drawn-out introductory calls before the phrase gets going is diagnostic.
Excitement call, song, social sounds, flight call:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCUnderparts almost completely barred. Prominent white edges to primary and secondary coverts. Shorter bill than Common Snipe, with stockier body, but slightly longer wings and legs. Less obvious trailing white edge to secondaries in flight. Corners of tail white (obvious when landing). Usually flies only a short distance and in a straight line after being flushed. Bill held in straighter angle than Snipe in flight.
Sound:Sometimes utters a faint grunt when flushed, but is generally silent when not lekking. Display call unique: A bubbling, clappering and whistling sequence that accelerates into a crescendo followed by a decrescendo.
Song:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CC