Woodpeckers
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
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Dryobates minor
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Voice
Song
Call
How to recognize it
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Length 14–16 cm
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Black-and-white bars across the wings and lower back
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Red crown in males, white in females; young of both sexes may have red on the head
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Often feeds on thin branches; flight undulates with deep swoops
About the species
Black-and-white plumage is finely marked: broad white bars cross the dark wings, with finer bars across the lower back, while the pale belly has dark streaks along the sides. A black stripe runs past the cheek but ends at a white patch before the nape. Males have a red crown; females’ crowns are white.
Always moving, it works along side branches and thin twigs, often leaving a tree within a minute. Its call is a repeated “keek,” and in spring it adds a quiet, rattling drum. While searching for wood-boring larvae, it chips into rotten wood; fresh chips below can mark where it has been feeding.
It uses leafy and mixed woods, especially damp places with mature trees, as well as old parks and gardens. It feeds mainly on insects, searching bark and dead wood for larvae; during the breeding season it also picks insects from leaves and branches. Most stay in the same area year-round, though some wander in winter.
Where to find
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In old city parks in winter, look for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker among thin branches, probing bark for hidden larvae.
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In damp deciduous woodland by water during the breeding season, watch the side branches as it picks insects from leaves and bark.
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In woods with decaying trees, look for chips at a tree's base—a clue that rotten wood is being chipped away for insect larvae.
