Touihri, M., Villard, M.-A., & Charfi-Cheikhrouha, F. 2015. Nesting habitat requirements of two species of North African woodpeckers in native oak forest. Bird Study 62(3): 386–393. doi: 10.1080/00063657.2015.1049511
PDF in ResearchGate.net
Short abstract:
Capsule: Nests of Levaillant’s Woodpecker Picus vaillantii and Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major were associated with higher densities of snags and downed wood than foraging locations.
Conclusion: Both Levaillant’s and Great Spotted Woodpecker showed high requirements for large-diameter trees and snags, which provide substrates for both nesting and foraging. Nesting habitat requirements may not always be higher than those associated with foraging, but the fact that they were for the Great Spotted Woodpecker calls for caution when planning for woodpecker conservation.
North African Birds 