Birdwatching - 3098 🐦

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

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

This miniature woodpecker is just a small copy of its larger relatives, it is the size of a sparrow or a tit, which gives it an almost toy-like appearance. Feathers stick out above its eyes, which makes it seem as if it is always angry.

Unlike large woodpeckers, he does not peck thick trunks because he is simply not capable of doing so. He examines thin branches, looking for larvae under the bark. But there is an exception: if the tree is rotten and the bark is loose, he can take it on. In these photos, you can see that his face is stained brown, and this is not an innate color, but traces of work on rotten wood.