Gray woodpecker inside Beech forest of Kriebstein Castle

A high-pitched laugh echoes through the morning chorus of songbirds. The male of the Gray woodpecker or Gray-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) obviously wants to interest a female in himself and his nest opportunities. The deciduous forest, dominated by the European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), on this steep slope between Kriebstein Castle and the dam of the… Continue reading Gray woodpecker inside Beech forest of Kriebstein Castle

An unusual tenant in raptor nest: Greylag Goose

A head looks cheeky from a huge nest 8 meters high in a European Larch (Larix decidua) in a sparsely leafy, mixed forest. The orange-pink beak is conspicuous and, in connection with the gray-brown head, only allows one breeding species to be itentified: a Greylag Goose (Anser anser). The bird sits crouched on the nest… Continue reading An unusual tenant in raptor nest: Greylag Goose

Woodpeckers as indicators of natural forest ecosystems

Central Europe is an old cultural landscape in which practically no area has been able to preserve its natural state. The far-reaching anthropogenic changes also affect the remaining type of forest strongly, that it is not known exactly what they look like under natural conditions. Largely unchanged forests can only be found on small remaining… Continue reading Woodpeckers as indicators of natural forest ecosystems