European green woodpecker but is made sticky by secretions from the enlarged salivary glands. Heavy, prolonged snow cover makes feeding difficult for the green woodpecker and can result in high mortality, from which it may take 10 years for the population to recover. Ant nests can be located under the snow; one bird was observed to dig 85 cm to reach a nest. 'Professor Yaffle', the wooden bookend character in the 1974 children's animation series "Bagpuss", was based loosely upon the green woodpecker. 'Yaffle' was among many English folk names for the European green woodpecker relating to its laughing call; others include laughing
Fine-spotted woodpecker Fine-spotted woodpecker The fine-spotted woodpecker ("Campethera punctuligera") is a bird. It is a widespread and frequently common resident breeder in much of west and central tropical Africa. It is a species associated with open forest, savannah and bush. This bird has a wide range and is a common species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". This bird is 22 cm in length. It is a typical woodpecker shape, and has green upper parts marked with fine pale spots, except on the rump and tail, which have pale bars