Nest site selection of the great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopus major in two oak woods in southern England and its implications for woodland management

Nest site selection of the great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopus major in two mature oak woods in southern England over an 11-year period is examined. Data describing the characteristics of 106 nest trees and sample surveys of available trees in the woods are used in the analyses. Although approximately equal numbers of nests were found in living and dead trees the latter were so rare in the study woods that this result represented an extremely strong selection for dead trees. Birch Betula spp. and elm Ulmus sp. were the major dead trees used. The smallest diameter tree used for nesting was 18 cm at breast height, although overall 90% of the nests were in trees of diameter 28 cm or greater. Apart from the minimum diameter, there was no strong selection for the use of large diameter trees for nesting, although this would probably not be expected in mature woodlands such as those in this study. The implications of the results for the management of woodlands for nesting woodpeckers are discussed.