Woodpecker 'plays dead' to escape bird of prey

The sparrowhawk landed on top of the wooden post looking for its supper, which was hiding immediately below it and out of its line of sight.

The lesser spotted woodpecker remained perfectly still for over a minute while the menacing hawk swivelled its head looking for it.

In the end the big bird lost interest and flew off, leaving the plucky woodpecker to live to fight another day.


The amazing episode was captured by wildlife photographer Robert Fuller.

Mr Fuller had been training his camera on a kestrel in his garden when he heard a commotion and turned to see the sparrowhawk with the woodpecker in its claws.

He instinctively waved its harm at the bird of prey and frightened it off, allowing the woodpecker to make a beeline for the sanctuary of the fence post.

Mr Fuller, 37, from Thixendale, near York, said: "I have a sort of hide in my kitchen and I attract a lot of birds.

"On this occasion I was trying to photograph a kestrel when I heard a noise and turned to see the sparrowhawk that had caught the male woodpecker and was pecking at it.

"I frightened the sparrowhawk off and the woodpecker escaped onto a post next to my garden hedge.

"I wanted to see if the woodpecker was OK, but I thought that the hawk might still be nearby so I sat tight and watched to see what would happen.

"Sure enough, ten minutes later the sparrowhawk was back and had actually landed on top of the very post where the woodpecker was.

"I know that sparrowhawks hunt by movement so as long as the woodpecker remained absolutely still he would be safe.

"The encounter went on for what seemed like ages with sparrowhawk looking for its prey, but it probably only lasted a minute or two.

"In the end the sparrowhawk moved off and the woodpecker lived to see another day."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/