Wonky is a Great Spotted Woodpecker who lives in our play area at Abbotts Walk. When we were building the play area, a Great Spotted Woodpecker liked it so much that he decided to move in and make it his new home. After discovering he had moved in, we decided to name him Wonky. 

We called him Wonky because he has a wonky beak!

Great Spotted Woodpeckers such as Wonky use their beaks to hunt for food and to drum on trees to tell other woodpeckers that this is their home. When Wonky arrived in Winchester, he first landed on the statue of Alfred the Great in the town centre. He was so tired that he thought it was a tree and when he pecked it, he bent his beak!

We know Wonky is a young woodpecker because he has quite a large red patch on the top of his head which shows that he is not fully grown. Apart from this, we have no idea where Wonky came from, why he was on his own or why he was so tired. If you have any ideas about why, please let us know! You can send them to us at tourism@winchester.gov.uk 

After arriving, Wonky soon spotted the lovely new play area at Abbotts Walk and decided to make it his home. He quickly made three friends there - a fox, an owl and a hedgehog. We don’t know the names of Wonky’s friends but cheeky Wonky has hidden clues around the play areas of Winchester to help us find out. To discover the names of Wonky's friends you need to complete the Wonky Walks..

You can also visit Wonky in person by visiting Abbotts Walk play area in Cassandra Road, Winchester and you can send us your pictures with him by emailing them to tourism@winchester.gov.uk. 

There are 3 routes to explore and completing each one will win you an exclusive Wonky prize!

• Completing Route 1 in Stanmore and Weeke will tell you the name of Wonky’s fox friend
• Completing Route 2 in the City Centre will tell you the name of Wonky’s hedgehog friend.
• Completing Route 3 in Highcliffe and Winnall will tell you the name of Wonky’s owl friend.

For every route you complete you become a Wonky winner!

• 1 route completed – win a Wonky badge!
• 2 routes completed – win a Wonky pencil case!
• 3 routes completed – win a Wonky water bottle!

Copies of the route maps can be downloaded from this page, or picked up from our Tourist Information Centre.

You can also access the route maps on your iPhone by downloading the QuizTrail app and searching for Wonky routes 1, 2 & 3.

In order to win one of the Wonky prizes, follow the instructions on the route maps and once you receive your prize, send us a photo to let us know and you could be featured on Wonky's Pinterest page!

Be in with a chance of winning

Congratulations to Austin, age 9, who loves the range of equipment at Winnal Manor Road and is our Wonky Winner. Your prize is in the post.

Keep sending us your pictures and stories about Wonky and his friends. Everything we receive will be displayed on Wonky's Pinterest page and Wonky will pick the winner each month.

• Don't forget, you can also download a Wonky and Friends colouring book and activity sheet and send us your finished pictures. Email your pictures to tourism@winchester.gov.uk and remember to check back to see when your Wonky selfie is posted!
• If you have any stories you would like to share with us about Wonky and why he decided to come to Winchester, let us know by emailing tourism@winchester.gov.uk and we will read them all to Wonky. 
• Wonky merchandise can be purchased exclusively from the Tourist Information Centre, High Street, Winchester and includes pencils, rubbers, pencil sharpeners and notebooks. 

Keep your eyes peeled for Wonky's next appearance around Winchester soon!