The lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) is a bird the size of a sparrow, and thus the dwarf among the woodpeckers in the family Picidae that live here. From the tip of its short, pointed beak to the end of its tail it measures only 14 to 16 cm, and the wingspan is 24 to 29 cm. Its dirty white belly and flanks are darkly striped, the back and wings are adorned with transverse white bars. In addition to its size, it is notable for the absence of red on the ventral side of the body. The sexes are distinguished by the color of the cap. Males have a red cap, females a black cap, while the forehead in both sexes is white.
The lesser spotted woodpecker is active during the day. It feeds almost exclusively on invertebrates – spiders and adult insects and their larvae, hidden under tree bark. It searches for these tiny creatures on smaller branches high in the tree crown, while the other woodpeckers and shrikes stay lower on the tree. Rarely does the lesser spotted woodpecker indulge in fruit, though quite often in spring you can see it licking tree sap that oozes from a beech branch that it bored.
The lesser spotted woodpecker is a fairly common species in Slovenia, which often bores a nest in a dead branch. In this hollow it builds its nest between April and May. It lives in open landscapes with smaller groups of trees and shrubs, in old tall orchards and deciduous forests with old oaks. It also suits damp forests along streams and rivers. In our country it is present all year round. It is easiest to observe in spring, when the trees are not yet leafed, and the lesser spotted woodpecker, with its calls and drumming, already or still marks its territory and attracts females. Although it is still fairly common here, due to the disappearance of old fruit trees and other deciduous trees in Slovenia it is considered endangered and is listed as a vulnerable species on the Red List of breeding birds.
