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Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - by Heather Mathieson

I once missed a bus on account of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – suddenly appearing and working its way up a tree as my bus disappeared. ‘Sorry I’m late, I had to watch a Lesser Spot’.

Most of my encounters have been unplanned – an individual amongst a large bird-party passing through a winter woodland and once visiting the garden bird feeder. That was a long time ago – the fate of this diminutive woodpecker has been steadily downward since the 1980s with a decline of over 80% between 1997 and 2022.

Now red-listed with a population of around 600 pairs in 2015 according to the BTO, the status in Kent is unclear and it is time to put that right, so we’re running a survey in 2025.

Our most recent estimate of 150 – 200 pairs made during the 2008 – 13 Kent Breeding Bird Atlas seems high but for such an easily overlooked species they are likely to be significantly under-recorded

There are positive signs – intensive survey work in the Blean woodlands by a small group of volunteer surveyors has revealed a significant population; Dr David Smith has been closely involved “I did not expect we would find up to 25 to 30 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker territories in four years, and we keep finding new ones each year.  Birds also seem to be site faithful, with territories in broadly the same area each year. This behaviour has helped us refine our efforts and to expand our searches across more of the Blean Complex.”

The survey will be making use of remote technology and The KOS has invested in five Song Meter Mini units that will enable us to cover more woodland.

Heather Mathieson is organising the survey for the KOS and is excited by the opportunity to get an up-to-date estimate of Kent’s Lesser Spot population:

"The survey aims to gather essential information on the distribution of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers by combining field observations with data collected from acoustic detectors. Members can contribute by reporting sightings via eBird, BirdTrack, or directly through the KOS website. This collaborative effort seeks to enhance our understanding of the population numbers and distribution of this red-listed species in Kent, as well as to provide insights into the ecology of this elusive and charismatic bird. 

"If you’re a photographer, your contributions are also really valuable. If you manage to take any clear photos of Lesser Spots in Kent at any time of the year, share them with us with a note of the bird's location (using what3words coordinates or a grid reference) and the time and date you took the photo. This information could help us identify individual birds and gain a greater understanding of their territorial range. Please email all information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.." 

We’ll be updating the KOS website during the survey.

(Please Note: All images shared will remain the copyright of the photographer and will only be used for conservation and survey purposes, with full permission and credit given to the photographer.)

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The Kent Ornithological Society was founded in 1952

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