Size and weight: 20-24 cm, 60-90 g

Appearance: Black-white-red-colored, with black crest and a continuous black strike from the base of bill all the way to the nape; deep red under-tail coverts; male with a red patch on the nape

Habitat: Inhabits deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests, parks, and gardens

Song: Short, sharp calls ("kix"). Drumming (e.g. for territorial defense, finding a mate)

Nest & breeding: Builds a brood cavity in older and/or dried out trees. The female lays 4-7 eggs once a year, between April and May.

Food: Insects, seeds (pine, spruce), sometimes eggs and young of other bird species, in winter also hazelnuts, peanuts and fat food mixtures

 

Play call Alexander Kürthy / xeno-canto.org, XC309807, CC BY-SA 4.0

 

A joint initiative of the Austrian Ornithological Centre and Die Garten Tulln