Woodpeckers

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens

Family Picidae (Woodpeckers)

Size: 6.5"

Season: Year-round

Habitat: Woodlands, parks in urban areas, streamsides

The downy woodpecker is a tiny woodpecker with a small bill and a relatively large head. It is white underneath with no barring, has black wings barred with white, and has a patch of white on the back. The head is boldly patterned black and white, and the male sports a red nape patch. The base of the bill joins the head with fluffy nasal tufts. Juveniles may show some red on the forehead and crown. Downy woodpeckers forage for berries and insects in the bark and among the smaller twigs of trees. The very similar hairy woodpecker is larger, with a longer bill and more aggressive foraging behavior, sticking to larger branches and not clinging to twigs. The adult male is illustrated.