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Picoides pubescens
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) feeding at hummingbird feeder in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
Suburban backyard
The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America. Adult Downy Woodpeckers are mainly black on the upperparts and wings, with a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. There is a white bar above the eye and one below. They have a black tail with white outer feathers barred with black. Adult males have a red patch on the back of the head whereas juvenile birds display a red cap. The Downy Woodpecker is virtually identical in plumage pattern to the much larger Hairy Woodpecker, but it can be distinguished from the Hairy by the presence of black spots on its white tail feathers. The Downy Woodpecker gives a number of vocalizations, including a short pik call. Like other woodpeckers, it also produces a drumming sound with its beak as it pecks into trees. Compared to other North American species its drums are slow. Despite their close resemblance, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are not very closely related, and they are likely to be separated in different genera; the outward similarity is a spectacular example of convergent evolution. Why they evolved this way cannot be explained with confidence; it may be relevant that the species exploit rather different-sized foodstuffs and do not compete very much ecologically. Their breeding habitat is forested areas, mainly deciduous, across most of North America to Central America. They nest in a tree cavity excavated by the nesting pair in a dead tree or limb. These birds are mostly permanent residents. Northern birds may migrate further south; birds in mountainous areas may move to lower elevations. Downy Woodpeckers roost in tree cavities in the winter. Downy Woodpeckers forage on trees, picking the bark surface in summer and digging deeper in winter. They mainly eat insects, also seeds and berries. In winter, especially, Downy Woodpeckers can often be found in suburban backyards with trees and will feed on suet at birdfeeders. (credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downy_Woodp...)
3 Comments
JinkyDee,
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the series...
Sorry for late response... I replied to your comment by return email, but later learned that comment replies do not work that way.
billikendave,
Thanks for your kind comment and mission heads up. I've joined your mission and updated my spotting.
I just started a new mission: non-hummingbird creatures at hummingbird feeders. Your photo would be a great addition.
http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/1142...
Interestingly, I just got done googling what a "downy woodpecker" looks like then this spotting came up when I returned to my NOAH homepage :D Very nice series of photos with great information!