Black Woodpecker

Primary nest tree in Central and Western European beech forests; preferentially selects trunks with heartrot from Fomes fomentarius.

Primary nest tree in boreal and eastern European pine forests.

Forages on wood colonised by Honey Fungus, feeding on both the fungal tissue and associated beetle larvae.

Preferentially nests in Beech trunks infected with Tinder Fungus. The fungus softens heartwood while the bird's cavity promotes further fungal colonisation (Zahner et al. 2012).

Black Woodpecker preferentially excavates nest cavities in aspen trunks infected by this fungus; decay softens heartwood to enable excavation (Zahner et al. 2012).

Frequently re-uses or nests near Black Woodpecker cavities in mature beech; commensal facilitation.