THE BRITISH LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



43 



and under tail-coverts with black penultimate bars or spots ; 

 axillaries white tinged brown often with some blackish spots ; 

 under wing -co verts white, a few with blackish tips and a patch of 

 black at base of 1st primary ; 

 tail : two central pairs black, 

 3rd pair black with brownish - 

 white tip and edging to distal 

 half of outer web, next two 

 pairs with black bases (more 

 extended on inner webs) and 

 distal portions brownish -white 

 with two black bars near tips, 

 the upper bar being confined 

 to inner web on 4th pair and 

 often broken on 5th pair, outer- 

 most (dwarf) pair white barred 

 black ; primaries brown -black 

 with white spot-like bars on 

 outer webs (on 2nd only at 

 base) and tooth -like white marks 

 on inner portions of inner webs, 

 secondaries same but innermost 

 three secondaries barred right 

 across with white ; primary- 

 coverts brownish -black ; greater 

 coverts black with white spots 

 on edges of both webs, inner 

 feathers barred white ; median 

 coverts with broad white bars 

 and narrow black tips ; lesser 

 coverts black. This plumage 

 is acquired by complete moult 

 July -Nov. Summer. — A moult 

 confined to body -feathers, and 

 probably involving only some 

 of them, takes place Jan. -Feb. 

 Plumage as in winter. 



Adult female. — Like male 

 but crown brownish -white or pale brown, feathers often with small 

 and inconspicuous crimson tips and occasionally with black tips ; 

 black of nape extending more forward towards crown than in male. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Like adult male but crimson of 

 crown rather duller, sides of breast and flanks inclined to be rather 

 more streaked and the streaks more often short and spot-like than 

 in adult. 



First winter. Male and female. — Like adults. The juvenile 

 plumage is completely (including wings and tail) moulted Aug. -Oct. 



Showing differences in pattern of upper - 

 parts of Great Spotted Woodpecker 

 (left) and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 

 (right), and outermost dwarf tail -leather 

 of British Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. 



