Green Woodpecker - 1994

Breeding resident

Mathew (1894) regarded the Green Woodpecker as a common resident. Lockley et al. (1949) noted a considerable decrease following and probably caused by the severe winter of 1947. More recently, hard weather, in particular the winter of 1963, has had a similar effect, but by 1964 areas were being recolonised which had been deserted since the 1930s.

The Breeding Birds Survey of 1984-1988 found a patchy distribution (see map). With an estimated average density of one to two pairs per tetrad, the Pembrokeshire population would be about 140-280 pairs.               

Green Woodpeckers are not normally seen far outside the breeding range but they have occasionally turned up on Skomer between July and September and have once been seen crossing from Giltar to Caldey.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 35

Orange = breeding probable = 65

Yellow = breeding possible = 39

Total tetrads in which registered = 139 (29.1%)

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire