The crow-sized Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) is the largest European woodpecker species in the Tiroler Lech Nature Park.

His Plumage is pitch black. The eye is immediately caught by the Scarlet crownwhich, however, is only found in the males. In the Females is the Red colouring much more subtle.

Black woodpeckers live in larger deciduous and coniferous forests with old trees that are not too dense. A breeding pair occupies an area of more than 100 hectares (equivalent to approx. 140 football pitches). Black woodpeckers create 8 - 10 roosting and nesting cavities per territory. Black woodpeckers eat ants and their larvae and pupae, wood and bark-dwelling insects (e.g. bark and longhorn beetles). Caterpillars, spiders and snails also serve as food for this woodpecker. It rarely eats berries and fruit.

The black woodpecker is not only the largest woodpecker in Europe, it also builds the largest woodpecker cavities, which are used by nesting birds such as the boreal owl, pine marten, bats and wild bees.