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Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized, mostly black-and-white birds, with strong, sharply pointed bills for chiseling and digging into trees. They drill in search of food (insects and larvae) and to excavate nesting cavaties. As they climb up tree trunks they use their stiff tails as a brace. Their flight is undulating, with the wings folded against the body after each series of flaps. These climbers have strong feet, with two toes forward and two backward.
Listen
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Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
At-a-Glance
• Peak Breeding Activity: January-March
• Incubation: 12 days
• Clutch Size: 4-5 eggs
• Young Fledge: 20-25 days after hatching
• Typical Foods: insects and other arthropods, fruits, seeds, sap, and some cambium tissue
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Description
About the size of a sparrow, the species is the smallest, most abundant, and tamest of our woodpeckers. The downy is black and white. Males have a bright red spot on the back of the head. The small downy is marked exactly like the larger, and much rarer, hairy woodpecker. The hairy, however, has a much larger bill as compared to the stubby bill of the downy.
Habitat and Habits
The downy's habitat may be anywhere a number of trees are found. This fairly common permanent resident is attracted to suet feeders in the winter. The song is a descending rattle. The call note, a sharp pik, is heard more frequently.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
An unlined cavity in a tree trunk is the site where four to five white eggs are laid. The male and female usually excavate the nest cavity together. They also share the responsibilities of incubating and feeding. |
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