Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos minor

Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Presence in the Strait: Vagrant
Protection in Spain: Special protection (List)
In Spanish: Pico menor

Photograph: egorbirder, CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length: 15 cm
Weight: 20 g

Presence in the Strait

Accidental. Three records of isolated birds: at El Rayo (Algeciras) on 16.08.76, at La Sauceda on 18.02.89 and at Sierra del Niño (Los Barrios) on 28.09.89.

Identification

Similar to a Great Spotted Woodpecker but the size of a Eurasian Nuthatch. Smaller bill, black back Picidae juv. Pico Picapinos Pico menor Pito Real with white barring and light-coloured underparts with dark streaking; lacks red vent. Males have red crown, black in the case of females. Juvenile males have crown feathers tipped red. Short sharp call: “Kick”, weaker than a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.

Calendar in the Strait

No observations with a compatible licence in the area, or taxon without a match in GBIF.

Conservation

The catalogues, Andalusian and Spanish, are what binds; the Red Book assesses the Spanish population with IUCN criteria, and the global Red List is the context.

LCNTVUENCR

Andalusian Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Spanish Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Red Book of the Birds of Spain 2021: DD · Data deficient · breeding
Global Red List (IUCN): LC · Least concern

Andalusian Catalogue: Junta de Andalucía, list of 24 April 2025. Spanish Catalogue: MITECO, table of 30 June 2025. Red Book: SEO/BirdLife, 2021 (Annex I). IUCN: via GBIF, 6 September 2026. Red Book and IUCN categories are assessments; catalogue categories are legal obligations.

Same genus in the Strait

Great Spotted Woodpecker22–23 cm · Resident

Species of the same genus that also occur here, ordered by how close they are in size. Being relatives does not mean they are confused in the field, but that is where the doubts start: compare size and season.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
GBIF taxon key: 2477950

Sources

Distribution and calendar: Bioestrecho's own database, ingested from GBIF and OBIS
Photograph: egorbirder, CC BY, vía iNaturalist
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Presence in the Strait

Identification

Gallery