Despite its size and colourful green plumage, the Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) can be a tricky species to observe well. It is usually found climbing trees and excavating timber, but it also feeds on the ground, using its long tongue to extract ants from subterranean nests.
The adult male has a greenish-olive upperparts and whitish underparts. The head is adorned with a red crown, a black “mask” and a red-centered black “moustache”. The female is similar to the male, but the “moustache” is all black.