Birdwatching - 3036 🐦

🦉 The lesser spotted woodpecker (Picoides minor , synonym of Dryobates minor)

• Dryobates (Greek) : druos - forest, woodland, batēs - walker, stroller
• minor (Latin) - smaller

This woodpecker is like a smaller copy of its larger relative, but with its own character. It is the size of a sparrow, which makes it look cute, although the feathers above its eyes make it look angry.
Unlike large woodpeckers, the small woodpecker does not destroy anthills or peck at the thick bark of tree trunks. Its style is jewelry work: it examines thin branches, looking for larvae under the thin bark.

However, in one case, it can peck at the bark of a tree, if this tree is rotten and the bark is very brittle and loose. Look closely at these photos, do you see the brown color on its face? This is not the color of its plumage, this is just the result of the fact that this woodpecker pecked at rotten bark and simply got dirty.