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Lesser Spotted Woodpecker •About Lesser Spotted Woodpecker About the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
In the last 30 years, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have declined by 77% and it is now on the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern. Although they are still widely distributed in England and Wales their numbers are very low and many bird watchers have not seen one for many years. The reasons for the decline are not known for certain and research work has just started to look at their ecology and conservation needs. As part of our research work, we need to increase the number of sites where we know Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are breeding. Please submit your records of birds seen now, in the breeding season, and especially if you are lucky enough to come across a nest. Records from earlier this year or even from previous breeding seasons would also be valuable to us. If you are an existing BirdTrack recorder please login as usual, if you are new to BirdTrack, welcome on board, please follow steps 1 to 3 to set-up your BirdTrack details and enter your sightings. Step 1: Registration. From the BirdTrack Homepage, click on Register for BirdTrack the box on the left hand side of the page. This takes you to a new page where you click Register here opposite the words New online users. Please fill in the details so we know who you are and where you live, and help us by answering the questions by ticking the relevant boxes. Hit the button Submit my registration and you are then a BirdTrack Recorder! You will immediately receive confirmation by email in your inbox containing a login name and password, and be taken to your own BirdTrack page! Step 2: Where did you see Lesser Spotted Woodpecker? From your own BirdTrack page, click on Create a new site from the box on the right of the page. Fill in the site name and county then either give us a grid reference, a postcode, or use the built in map to select the relevant grid square. Repeat this if you have more than one site occupied. If your site happens to be an RSPB reserve then simply go the pull down menu and select. Step 3: Enter details of sightings. Next, click on Submit casual obs (observations) which takes you to a page where you can tell us what you have seen, where and when. The sites you have created in Step 2 will appear in the site box. Species can be selected by typing L (for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker) then scrolling down to select. Having selected Spotted Woodpecker you’ll see a Special Survey Info (information) box appear which tell you how to record extra information for Scarce Woodland Bird Survey species in the comments box. Once you have finished, hit the Submit casual records button and that’s it! ALSO.... The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is one of a group of declining woodland birds. The habitat needs and numbers of these species are the subject of the Scarce Woodland Bird Survey. Your records will be valuable in increasing our knowledge of sites which still hold these birds. As an official BirdTrack recorder, why not also send us your other birdwatching records. We are particularly keen to receive full species lists for sites, because they are of greatest use for bird monitoring and conservation, but every record counts! Many thanks. What can BirdTrack do for you? BirdTrack is a brand new web-based bird-recording scheme that allows you to enter, store and view your birdwatching records from the UK. It is packed full of information on bird migration and bird recording. On of the great benefits of using BirdTrack is knowing that your records are adding to a national database on bird movements, numbers and range, and that this information will play an important role in bird conservation. |
The
Lesser Spotted is our smallest woodpecker being only about the size
of a house sparrow. Following the theme of its more common relative,
the Great Spotted Woodpecker, the Lesser Spotted has a basically
black and white plumage with patches of red – most notably
the crown of the male which is brilliant scarlet. It feeds on dead
branches most typically high in the tops of trees. It is a far more
secretive bird than the great spotted and is often only found because
of its characteristic ‘pee-pee-pee’ call and soft drumming.
It can be distinguished from the Great Spotted Woodpecker by its
small size and the pattern of black and white on its back. The lesser
spotted has black and white bars whilst the great spotted has a
large white patch on each folded wing.
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BirdTrack is organised
by the BTO for the BTO, RSPB and BWI |
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