Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker

Characteristics

A familiar woodpecker the size of a sparrow. The back has a white and black border pattern. The head is dark brown and the belly is also pale. The fingers are split in two on the front and back, and are sharply pointed for clinging. The whites of the eyes sometimes appear to be pulled, but this is a membrane called the "nictitating membrane" that protects the eyes. It is believed that they protect the eyes from the wood chips scattered by drumming.

Calls

The chirping of the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker is distinctive and easy to understand. "Gee geee" with a jagged voice. I feel that the chirping of the Varied Tit and the chirping of the Pygmy Woodpecker are somewhat similar. The Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker sounds like "Gee-Gee", and the Varied Tit sounds like "Jee-Gee". During the breeding season, they also make a "kick" sound.

Drumming

Pygmy woodpeckers, like other woodpeckers, also perform drumming (the action of quickly pecking at trees). It is lighter and has a faster tempo than medium-sized woodpeckers such as the green woodpecker. It makes a "knock-knock-knock" sound, similar to a light knock on a desk. You can hear the drumming of Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers even in parks, so it might be a good idea to use this as a reference when distinguishing other woodpeckers by their drumming.

Ecology

Inhabits a wide range of areas with trees, from mountain forests to city parks. They eat insects and nuts while moving in pairs or with a few of their families. It scours tree trunks for food and catches insects with its long tongue. It builds a nest by digging holes in dead branches. Breeding in city parks and roadside trees has also been confirmed.

They sometimes fly with flocks of other small birds such as titmouses.

Habitat

I took a picture of him jumping down from a tree on the riverbed of Asakawa, Hachioji City. Pygmy woodpeckers on riverbeds seem to descend relatively low.

Pygmy Woodpecker is one of the wild birds familiar to me. When I was little, I was happy to hear drumming coming from the hill behind my house. After I started photographing wild birds, I had a hard time capturing the movements of the drumming because they were so intense. Even people who have no interest in wild birds will be happy to know that the Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker is a woodpecker.

As an aside, as I wrote above, I think that the Pygmy Woodpecker and Varied Tit have something in common. Of course, they look different, but they are both in the nearby forests, and not only do they sound somewhat similar, they even tap the trees with their beaks in the same way.