The IWT has been monitoring the recent sightings of great spotted woodpecker in Ireland with interest. Since 2005 the species has been seen in the east of the island in Cos. Antrim, Down, Dublin, Louth, Meath and Wicklow. These records began with single sightings but observations have increased each year up to the present and 2008 has resulted in unprecedented records of the bird.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

To date this year, twenty three sightings of great spotted woodpecker have been reported in the east of Ireland and these have included juvenile birds and behaviour such as courtship flight displays by adults and drumming by males. As well as these records, two birds were noted on off shore islands in spring – one on Great Saltee and one on Cape Clear – providing evidence of movement of the species from Britain and/or mainland Europe.

The occurrence of the great spotted woodpecker in spring and summer in Ireland and in increasing numbers over the last few years is a new and welcome development as the bird previously only occurred as individuals in the winter season when breeding was not possible. In addition, this year’s observations of both courtship displays and juvenile birds indicate that breeding may have taken place in Ireland for the first time in many centuries.
As breeding of the species has potentially occurred, the IWT is suspending the present reintroduction plans to allow nature to take its course and will be monitoring the success of the species over the coming seasons. Although only a few juveniles have been seen and their fate is unknown at present, the IWT believes that it would be unethical to interfere with a successful natural re-colonisation of the island by the species if that is what is occurring. However, like the red kite, the species may yet require a helping hand to re-establish itself in Ireland so additional stock may need to be manually translocated at a future date. Time will tell.

The appearance of the great spotted woodpecker so soon after the IWT proposed a reintroduction is surprising and, despite a few tongue-in-cheek comments that the IWT might have secretly smuggled a few birds in from Britain, the birds’ presence in Ireland is not due to the IWT as no birds have been reintroduced to Ireland by the IWT to date. It would appear that the recent upsurge in numbers of the woodpecker in Ireland and at the ‘right’ season to breed is a much welcome and delightful coincidence. Perhaps word of the open invitation to re-colonise Ireland was just too enticing for the species to ignore and the availability of new territories was beckoning.

For there has been an obvious, glaring ecological niche to be filled in our woodlands due to the absence of woodpeckers since the loss of these birds centuries ago and, although the evidence for the great spotted woodpecker as a past Irish resident is scant, it does exist and there are Gaelic names and descriptions of the bird in historical literature. However, one of the most important pieces of evidence to be discovered was the bones of the great spotted woodpecker in a cave in County Clare. This is proof of predation on a local species as the right femurs of two great spotted woodpeckers were found and these were recently dated to the Bronze Age.

Contrary to the initial arguments made against the IWT reintroduction project that the great spotted woodpecker would be unable to survive here through lack of the availability of food or that it might displace other species is the fact that this bird is unique amongst the ten species of European woodpecker in that its food preferences are very diverse. The species is a true opportunist, a generalist, which adapts to its environment and its diet includes: invertebrates such as beetles, ants, aphids, flies, woodlice, wasps, spiders, moths, dragonflies, grasshoppers and caterpillars. It also takes fruits, seeds, nuts and berries including those from coniferous and deciduous tree species: apple, cherry, plum, juniper, yew, pine cones, acorns, nuts, mast, buds and sap. The species also occasionally consumes eggs, nestlings, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fungi and carrion. Where it occurs near human habitation, it frequently visits bird tables to feed on sunflower seeds, nuts, suet and kitchen scraps. So food availability should not be an issue.

Furthermore, this bird is a keystone species which actually enhances the environment for other species and as no other woodpecker is present cannot displace any other species. For instance, it removes tougher areas of deadwood which allows smaller bird species like tits and treecreepers to reach food to which they would otherwise have no access. It provides holes for the use of other birds and animals e.g. several species of bats, squirrels, pied flycatchers, redstarts, bees and many other insects. It also introduces heart rotting fungus to trees which results in more dead wood which invertebrates thrive upon. All in all, the excavating skills of great spotted woodpeckers help in the creation of woodland food chains and this remarkable woodpecker also helps to control pest species like spruce bark beetle and should therefore be welcomed by foresters.

The future expansion of the species would appear to be a given. Mature woodlands now exist, new woodlands have been planted and forestry schemes will lead to even more habitat for the species into the future.  However it is a fallacy to think that vast tracts of woodland are required to ensure survival of the great spotted woodpecker as it is equally content in suburban gardens as it is in parkland, copses and woodland. Treelines and hedgerows offer connective elements for use by the bird across more open country and are used as such in Britain.

The IWT are reasonably confident that the species will gain a foothold here in a short time if provided with nest boxes as one problem that faces newly arrived or bred birds in Irish woodland is the lack of available bolt holes for juveniles. Old woodpecker holes are normally used by young great spotted to avoid predation by raptors such as sparrowhawk. The lack of these sites in Ireland may compromise the success of breeding populations. In Sweden, where the white-backed woodpecker population is on the verge of extinction, juvenile birds were reintroduced from Latvia and Estonia. The initial reintroduction failed as the young birds were wiped out by raptors as artificial bolt holes were not provided for the birds’ use until they established territories.

Nest boxes specifically designed for great spotted woodpecker should be erected within woodlands identified as being in use by the species. These can then be used as safe havens by juvenile birds when danger threatens. The IWT will investigate the provision of these boxes.
Conor Kelleher