Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is Europe's smallest woodpecker, close in size to a sparrow, with a black-and-white barred back (rather than solid white patches), whitish underparts, and no red under the tail. Males have a red crown, while females have a whitish or pale crown.

It is a shy, unobtrusive bird that spends most of its time high in the canopy of tall trees, making it far harder to see than its larger relatives despite being widespread across much of Europe.

Key field marks

• Very small size, close to sparrow-sized
• Black-and-white barred back (ladder pattern), not solid white shoulder patches
• No red patch under the tail
• Males show a red crown; females have a plain pale crown
• High-pitched, rapid "pee-pee-pee-pee" call

Similar species

• Great Spotted Woodpecker is much larger with bold solid-white shoulder patches and a red vent.
• Middle Spotted Woodpecker is intermediate in size with a red crown in both sexes and lacks the fine barring on the back.

Small size, barred back, and lack of any red under the tail readily separate this species from its relatives, though its habit of feeding high in the canopy often makes it hard to spot at all.

Habitat

Favors mature deciduous woodland, riverside alder and willow stands, orchards, and parkland with old or dead trees offering soft, decaying wood for foraging and nesting.

Range

Widespread but patchily distributed across most of Europe and temperate western Asia; absent from Ireland and much of the far north.

Migration

Resident and sedentary throughout its range, rarely moving far from breeding territories.

Behavior

Unobtrusive and often solitary, it forages methodically on thin branches and twigs high in the canopy, moving less conspicuously than larger woodpeckers and rarely visiting garden feeders.

Voice

Gives a shrill, nasal "pee-pee-pee-pee" call reminiscent of a small falcon, and produces a long, weak drumming roll, quieter and more even than that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Feeding

Feeds almost entirely on small insects and larvae gleaned from thin branches and decaying wood, supplemented occasionally by seeds.

Nesting and breeding

Excavates a small nest hole in a dead branch or soft, rotten wood, often high up. Females lay 4-6 white eggs, incubated by both sexes for about 10-12 days.