Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks October to June · Woodpeckers · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Great Spotted Woodpecker has been recorded in 2,457 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (83%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in October to June.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 30% or more of visits
- High
- 17% to 30%
- Moderate
- 9% to 17%
- Low
- under 9%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 91% | 17% | Very high |
| February | 94% | 17% | Very high |
| March | 100% | 18% | Very high |
| April | 91% | 17% | Very high |
| May | 87% | 16% | Very high |
| June | 88% | 16% | Very high |
| July | 74% | 14% | Very high |
| August | 84% | 15% | Very high |
| September | 82% | 15% | Very high |
| October | 88% | 16% | Very high |
| November | 97% | 18% | Very high |
| December | 96% | 18% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| H96 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J02 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J05 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J37 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J46 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J47 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J56 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J58 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J65 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J66 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |