To celebrate the beginning of spring in the Gaelic calendar, ornithologist Seán Ronayne is across the schedule on RTÉ lyric fm with a new series to discuss the distinct bird songs, melodies and calls that we have today in Ireland. Listen to Sean give it up for the Great Spotted Woodpecker above...
Sean says: Great Spotted Woodpeckers didn't really exist in Ireland until the early 2000s. Thankfully their uncertain status here has changed in a rather dramatic fashion, with the species now occurring in every Irish county. These iconic ecosystem engineers feed heavily on invertebrates they tease out from dead and dying wood, where they also carve out their nest-holes. As they usually excavate a new cavity hole each year, the older nests provide breeding sites for many species. The most familiar sound of theirs is their iconic drumming display, involving a rapid and forceful tapping of their bills on resonant tree trunks..Each tree has a unique sound, and each bird has a unique taste in music...
Listen to more from Bird Songs with Seán Ronayne here
