The European green woodpecker, also known as the yaffle and sometimes called a nickle, is a large green woodpecker with a bright red crown and a black moustache. Males have a red centre to the moustache stripe which is absent in females. It is resident across much of Europe and the western Palearctic but in Spain and Portugal it is replaced by the similar Iberian green woodpecker.
Region
Europe and western Palearctic
Typical Environment
Widespread across much of Europe, absent from parts of Iberia where replaced by the Iberian green woodpecker. Prefers open woodlands, parklands, orchards, hedgerows, and farmland with nearby trees. Often occurs in suburban greenspaces, golf courses, and large gardens where ant-rich lawns are present. Avoids dense, closed-canopy forests and very dry treeless habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the yaffle, this woodpecker is famous for its loud, laughing call and for spending much of its time feeding on the ground. It is a specialist ant-eater, using an exceptionally long, sticky tongue to probe nests. Unlike many woodpeckers, it drums infrequently and relies more on vocalizations.
European green woodpecker (Switzerland) eating
Juvenile
Eggs of Picus viridis MHNT
Dropping opened to show ant remains
Temperament
shy and wary, often terrestrial
Flight Pattern
undulating with bursts of rapid wingbeats and short glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining territories year-round. Pairs excavate nest cavities in soft or decaying trunks of deciduous trees, laying 4–6 eggs in spring. Both sexes incubate and feed the chicks, which fledge after about three weeks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, laughing series of notes often rendered as ‘yaffle’, carrying far across open areas. Also gives sharp ‘kew’ or ‘kik’ calls; drumming is rare compared to other woodpeckers.
Plumage
Bright green upperparts with paler underparts and a conspicuous yellow rump; wings and tail slightly barred. Crown and nape red, with a black mask and moustachial stripe. Male shows a red center within the black moustache; female lacks the red in the moustache.
Diet
Specializes on ants (e.g., Lasius and Formica), digging into nests and probing galleries with a long, sticky tongue. Also takes other insects and their larvae, and occasionally berries or fruit in colder months. Forages mostly on the ground, picking and probing at anthills and short turf.
Preferred Environment
Short grasslands, lawns, pastures, orchard floors, and woodland edges where ant colonies are abundant. Often feeds near scattered trees or hedgerows that provide cover and nesting sites. Will use suburban parks and gardens with suitable ground conditions.
