Photo: Thermos / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minor
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) is a member of the Picidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 19.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Dryobates
- Species minor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 19.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 19.8 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 18.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker?
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 19.8 g.
Where does the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker live?
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker belong to?
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker eat?
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker migrate?
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker's range?
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 18.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.