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The great spotted woodpecker is black and white, with white shoulder patches and red underneath the tail. Males have a small red patch at the back of the head, which is black in females. They are only likely to be confused with the lesser spotted woodpecker, which is much smaller and rarer.

Young great spotted woodpeckers are often mistaken for lesser spotted woodpeckers, as they have a red crown – as do male lesser spotted woodpeckers. As well as being smaller than a great spotted woodpecker, lesser spotteds have horizontal white lines across their back, rather than the white shoulder patches of the great spotted woodpecker. Lesser spotted woodpeckers also lack the red beneath the tail.