From my new set, "Woodpeckers of Eurasia" which will be released for Audubon's Birthday... The Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker is found in-- coniferous forests across the Palearctic from Norway to Korea. There are also populations in the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains. As inferred from its common name, a distinguishing feature of this bird is its feet. It possesses 3 toes (2 forward and 1 backward) rather than the 4 toes common in most woodpecker species. There is no clear scientific explanation for this evolutionary difference. It is believed that 4 toes are better for perching and those two back toes give added stability in vertical climbing, but the 3-toed woodpeckers appear to have no real disadvantage in either task. What also makes the 3-toed woodpecker unusual is the male's yellow crest (which is traditionally red on other woodpecker species). Available evidence suggests that the Three-toed Woodpecker may regulate tree-damaging bark beetle populations during an epidemic. This underlines the benefit of protecting the species and its habitats as a means to possibly limit beetle damages in surrounding managed forests. Rendered in Iray without any post work.