Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
Sound (137 KB)
DESCRIPTION:
Size: 6.5 inches (17 cm)
Abundance: Common
Identification Tips:
- Very small black and white woodpecker
- Very short bill
- Black wings with white spotting on coverts and flight feathers
- White back
- White underparts
- Mostly black head set off by broad white supercilium and lower border to auriculars
- Black nape
- Black rump
- Black tail with white outer tail feathers barred with black
HABITAT:
Common and widespread in deciduous and mixed forests, small woodlots, suburbs, orchards, gardens, urban areas. In the west, often found in willow and poplar trees along streams. May hang like a chickadee from small branches or leaves. Comes to feeders. Downy Woodpeckers are more closely related to Ladder-backed Woodpeckers than to the similar looking Hairy Woodpeckers. Smallest woodpecker in North America.
NESTING & FEEDING:
BREEDING: Deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous woodland, riparian woodland, parks, orchards. 1 brood in n, 2? in s. Mating system is monogamous.
DISPLAYS: "Dancing," drumming, bill waving, crest raising used in territorial displays and with duetting in courtship. Stilted, floating flight occurs in both aggression and courtship.
NEST: New hole yearly, entrance often camouflaged by surrounding fungus/lichen/moss. Lined with chips. Excavated in 13-20 days (average l6). Female usually selects site.
EGGS: 4-5 White. 0.8"(19 mm).
CHICK DEVELOPMENT: Both sexes incubate. Incubation takes 12 days. Development is altricial (immobile, downless, eyes closed, fed). Young leave the nest after 20-25 days. Both sexes tend young.
DIET: Insects (75% to 85%); fruit, seeds, sap from sapsucker holes.
CONSERVATION: Winter resident. Occasionally uses birdhouse for roost but not for nest.
NOTES: Pair initially hold large territory which shrinks after nest site selected and excavated. Male reportedly performs most of brooding. Fledglings dependent for up to 3 weeks. Sexes forage separately: males prefer small branches, upper canopy and branches less than 60 feet from horizontal. Other hole-nesting species may invade roosting holes or nests. Each bird excavates winter roost.
WORLD RANGE:
Deciduous and mixed woodland, second growth, towns. From wc, nc Alaska, s Yukon, sw Mackenzie and n Saskatchewan e across c Canada to e Quebec and Newfoundland and s to sw Calif., c Arizona, sc New Mexico, sw Kansas, wc Oklahoma, c,e Texas, Gulf coast and s Florida.
