The numbers of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have dropped dramatically in recent years yet the New Forest in Salisbury remains a hot spot for the UK’s smallest woodpecker.
Sightings of the bird used to be common yet the population of the woodpecker has dropped by an alarming 76% since 1970. The exact cause of this population plummet is unknown to researchers but the RSPB is investigating in an effort to turn the tide in woodpecker numbers.
One thing they do know about the birds is that they thrive in areas with a large amount of woodland which makes the New Forest ideal for this species and many others.
Hopefully scientists and researchers will determine the exact cause in the loss of numbers so that the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker will be a common visitor to forests and gardens and continue to thrive.