noun
pygmy woodpecker; Japanese pygmy woodpecker
A small woodpecker native to Japan and parts of East Asia; the scientific name is Dendrocopos kizuki (or Yungipicus kizuki). Commonly seen in gardens and parks.
庭にコゲラが来て、木の幹をつついている。
A pygmy woodpecker came to the garden and is pecking at the tree trunk.
コゲラは日本で一番小さなキツツキです。
The pygmy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in Japan.
The name コゲラ is of uncertain origin; it is a native Japanese word for this small woodpecker species. The kanji 小啄木鳥 literally means 'small woodpecker'.