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Picture Pages: Downy Woodpecker The Howland
Picture Pages: Downy WoodpeckerPage by Royce
Last update: $Date: 2004/10/23 17:49:00 $ (UTC)
The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is the smallest woodpecker found in North America, and is common across most of the continent with the exception of the far north of Canada and Alaska, and the U.S. southwest. This woodpecker ranges from deciduous or mixed forest right through to gardens and other urban areas. In the winter especially, it can be a common visitor at back yard feeders, looking for suet, peanuts or black oil sunflower seeds. Perhaps because of the cartoon culture icon Woody Woodpecker to whom I was exposed as a kid, I always welcome a woodpecker sighting.
Visually similar to the Hairy Woodpecker, the Downy can be best distinguished by its smaller size, proportionally shorter bill, some subtle plumage differences, and a softer, lower-pitched call. Like other woodpeckers, the Downy has stiff tail feathers that it uses for leverage, propping itself up as it works a tree or feeder. Also like other woodpeckers, Downies nest in cavities that they excavate in the trunks of dead trees. Seeing a tree riddled with round holes a couple of inches across is a sure sign that you are in woodpecker country, although any number of other species may be now inhabiting former woodpecker cavities.
Downy Woodpeckers often can be found with other birds in mixed flocks, especially in the winter. In our area for example we often find a Downy or two mixed in with Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches. This is thought to be a strategy of the birds to improve success in foraging. They may also band together against a predator, although the CLO profile indicates that the Downy Woodpecker doesn't actually join in with the mobbing.
Resources where you can find out more:
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Here is a male Downy Woodpecker that came to a suet feeder in the yard where we were waiting for another sighting of the Hooded Warbler. I don't normally take feeder photos, but woodpeckers are an irresistible subject, so here he is. This shot was taken with a Canon EOS 10D + EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens, hand-held.
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