LC
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2013 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency high
Land-mass type Average mass 321 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 38,900,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 3540000-6490000 mature individuals poor estimated 2018
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 3.86 years - - -

Population justification: In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 1,240,000-2,270,000 mature individuals, with 622,000-1,140,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 35% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 3,540,000-6,490,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. The European trend for this species is not known (BirdLife International 2021). This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, which is estimated to be declining at a rate of 6.9% over the past three generations (11.6 years) within its mapped range (Global Forest Watch 2024). Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is tentatively suspected that this loss of cover may have led to a slow decline over the same time frame.

Trend justification:    .


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Albania extant native yes
Andorra extant native yes
Armenia extant native yes
Austria extant native yes
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Belarus extant native yes
Belgium extant native yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Bulgaria extant native yes
China (mainland) extant native yes
Croatia extant native yes
Czechia extant native yes
Denmark extant native yes
Estonia extant native yes
Finland extant native yes
France extant native yes
Georgia extant native yes
Germany extant native yes
Greece extant native yes
Hungary extant native yes
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes
Italy extant native yes
Japan extant native yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Latvia extant native yes
Liechtenstein extant native yes
Lithuania extant native yes
Luxembourg extant native yes
Moldova extant native yes
Mongolia extant native yes
Montenegro extant native yes
Netherlands extant native yes
North Korea extant native yes
North Macedonia extant native yes
Norway extant native yes
Poland extant native yes
Portugal extant vagrant
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant native yes yes
Russia (Asian) extant native yes
Russia (Central Asian) extant native yes
Russia (European) extant native yes
Serbia extant native yes
Slovakia extant native yes
Slovenia extant native yes
South Korea extant native yes
Spain extant native yes
Sweden extant native yes
Switzerland extant native yes
Türkiye extant native yes
Ukraine extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Austria Ötscher-Dürrenstein
Austria Vienna forest
Belgium Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse
Belgium Hautes Fagnes/Eifel
Belgium Lesse et Lomme
Belgium Saint-Hubert
Bulgaria Central Balkan
Bulgaria Kamchiyska Mountain
Bulgaria Persenk
Bulgaria Pirin
Bulgaria Rila
Bulgaria Trigrad-Mursalitsa
Bulgaria Western Balkan
Bulgaria Western Rhodopes
Croatia Gorski Kotar and Northern Lika
Croatia Mount Velebit
Croatia Mt Bilogora and Kalnik
Czechia Beskydy mountains
Czechia Doupov hills
Czechia Krkonose mountains (Giant mountains)
Czechia Labské pískovce sandstones
Czechia Sumava mountains (Bohemian forest)
Czechia Trebonsko (Trebon region)
Denmark Almindingen
Denmark Forest areas south of Silkeborg
Denmark Gribskov Area
Denmark Rold Skov
Estonia Kõrvemaa
Estonia Lahemaa
France Arrière Côte de Dijon et de Beaune
France Barois et Forêt de Clairvaux
France Bassigny
France Bazoncourt-Vigy
France Etangs d'Argonne
France Etangs de Sologne: St Viatre, Marcilly-en-Gault et forêt de Bruadan
France Forêt d'Orléans: massifs d'Ingrannes et de Lorris
France Forêt de Châtillon et environs
France Forêt de Haguenau
France Forêt de la Reine
France Forêt domaniale de la Harth
France Forêts d'altitude du Jura : forêt du Risol et Mont d'Or
France Forêts de Thiérache : Trelon, Fourmies, Hirson et St-Michel
France Forêts du Perche
France Forêts picardes : Compiègne, Laigue, Ourscamp
France Forêts picardes : massif de Retz
France Forêts picardes : massif de Saint-Gobain
France Forêts picardes : massif des Trois Forêts et bois du Roi
France Fresnes-en-Woëvre-Mars-la-Tour
France Gorges de la Dourbie et causses avoisinants
France Gorges de la Truyère
France Gorges du Tarn et de la Jonte
France Haut Val d'Allier
France Haute Soule : Forêt des Arbailles
France Hautes Vallées d'Aspe et d'Ossau
France Hauts Plateaux du Vercors et Forêt des Coulmes
France Massif des Vosges : crêtes de Schneeberg au Donon
France Massif des Vosges: Hautes Vosges
France Massif du Canigou-Carança
France Massifs de Fontainebleau et zones humides adjacentes
France Parc National des Cévennes
France Parc National des Ecrins
France Parc National du Mercantour
France Plateau Ardennais
France Plateaux de Millevaches et de Gentioux
France Puig Carlit et environs
France Val de Chiers et environs de Spincourt
France Vallée de la Loire : gorges de la Loire
France Vallée du Haut-Guil
France Vallée du Rhin : Strasbourg à Lauterbourg
France Vallées de la Scarpe et de l'Escaut
Germany Ahrgebirge
Germany Altengrabower Heide
Germany Ammergau mountains
Germany Annaburger Heide
Germany Aukrug Nature Park
Germany Bayerischer Wald National Park with Arber region and Hohem Bogen
Germany Bliesgau
Germany Burgwald
Germany Central Black Forest
Germany Colblitz-Letzlinger Heide
Germany Drömling (Sachsen-Anhalt)
Germany Duvenstedter Brook
Germany Egge
Germany Erzgebirgskamm near Satzung
Germany Forests of Lauenburg
Germany Forests south of Wolfsburg
Germany Harz National Park
Germany High alps of Allgäu
Germany Karwendel and Karwendel foothills
Germany Kellerwald
Germany Lauerholz
Germany Lower Elbe valley
Germany Lucie and Landwehr
Germany Lüneburger Heide
Germany Medebacher Bucht
Germany Neckar oxbows in the Hessian Ried
Germany North-eastern lower Harz mountains
Germany Northern Black Forest
Germany Nürnberger Reichswald
Germany Ponds and Elbe valley near Torgau
Germany Pressel wooded heath and mire
Germany Rhön Biosphere Reserve
Germany Riedforst near Melsungen
Germany Sachsenwald
Germany Sächsische Schweiz National Park
Germany Schorfheide-Chorin
Germany Schwalm-Nette-Platte and Grenzwald
Germany Sennelager training area
Germany Solling
Germany South-eastern Alb and Upper Danube valley
Germany Southern Black Forest
Germany Spreewald
Germany Stechlin
Germany Stromberg
Germany Uckermark lake region
Germany Upper and middle reaches of river Krückau with tributaries
Germany Wahner Heide
Germany Westerzgebirge around Carlsfeld
Italy Adamello-Brenta
Italy Belluno Dolomites
Italy Carniche pre-Alps
Italy Dolomites
Italy Gran Paradiso
Italy Lagorai mountains
Italy Maritime Alps
Italy Mount Grappa
Italy Orobie Alps and pre-Alps
Italy Stelvio National Park
Italy Tarvisio forest and Giulie pre-alps
Latvia Gauja national park
Latvia Irbe valley and Dizpurvs
Latvia Kemeri national park
Latvia Razna
Latvia Teici and Pelecare bogs
Lithuania Buda - Pravieniskes forest complex
Lithuania Labanoras Regional Park
Lithuania Simonys & Ramuldava forest complex
Luxembourg Dudelange Haard
Luxembourg Esch/Alzette South-east
Luxembourg Mines of the region of Differdange
Netherlands Brabantse Wal
Netherlands Drents-Friese Wold & Leggelderveld
Netherlands Dwingelderveld
Netherlands Maasduinen
Netherlands Veluwe
Poland Augustów forest
Poland Biala Forest
Poland Knyszyn Forest
Poland Notec Forest
Poland Pisz forest
Poland Roztocze
Poland Solska Forest
Poland Tuchola Forest
Romania Almăjului Mountains - Locvei
Romania Baraolt Mountains - Bodoc
Romania Defileul Inferior al Mureşului
Romania Defileul Superior al Mureşului
Romania Domogled - Cernei valley
Romania Grădiştea Muncelului
Romania Padiş - Vlădeasa mountain
Romania Trascău Mountains
Romania Vânători - Neamţ
Romania Vrancea Mountains
Serbia Derdap gorge
Serbia Golija
Serbia Homolje
Serbia Kucaj-Beljanica
Serbia Tara mountain
Slovakia Laborecká upland
Slovakia Malá Fatra
Slovakia Slanské hills
Slovakia Veľká Fatra
Slovakia Volovské hills
Spain Alt Pallars
Spain Areta, Archuba and Zariquieta mountain ranges
Spain Babia-Somiedo
Spain Belagua-Ansó-Hecho
Spain Boumort mountains
Spain Cadí mountains
Spain Central ranges of the Cantabric mountains
Spain Degaña-Hermo
Spain Gistaín-Cotiella
Spain Leyre, Illón and San Miguel mountain ranges
Spain Muniellos
Spain Ordesa-Bielsa
Spain Peña Labra and Cordel mountain ranges
Spain Picos de Europa mountain range
Spain Posets-Maladeta
Spain Riaño
Spain Roncesvalles-Irati-Abodi mountain range
Spain San Mauricio-Bohí-Beret
Spain Turbón-Espés-Sis
Sweden Båtfors – Bredfors
Sweden Färnebofjärden
Sweden Florarna
Sweden Lake Solgen
Sweden Western part of Lake Mälaren

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Boreal major non-breeding
Forest Boreal major breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Forest Temperate major breeding
Forest Temperate major non-breeding
Altitude 0 - 2400 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-woodpecker-dryocopus-martius on 24/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/12/2024.