コゲラ

コ

ゲ

ラ

Meanings

pygmy woodpecker; Japanese pygmy woodpecker

usually written using kana alone

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.

庭にわにコゲラが来きて、木きの幹みきをつついている。
A pygmy woodpecker came to the garden and is pecking at the tree trunk.
コゲラは日本にほんで一いち番ばん小ちいさなキツツキです。
The pygmy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in Japan.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

小little, small
啄peck, pick up
木tree, wood
鳥bird, chicken

Related words

キツツキ
キツツキ is the general term for woodpeckers; コゲラ refers specifically to the pygmy woodpecker species.
アカゲラ
アカゲラ is the great spotted woodpecker, a larger species with red markings, while コゲラ is much smaller and lacks prominent red.

Written forms

コゲラUsage100%
kana-only spelling
The katakana spelling is the most common written form for this bird name; usually written in kana.
こげら
Hiragana spelling, also used when writing in kana.
小啄木鳥こげら
Kanji spelling; rarely used in practice, and the reading may not be obvious.
小こ啄げ木ら
Abbreviated kanji spelling; even rarer than 小啄木鳥.

Etymology

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'.