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Project Noah Nature School
Picoides pubescens
Common, smallest woodpecker. Often forages along twigs and weed stems. Distinguished from all woodpeckers except Hairy by white patch on back and mostly unmarked whitish flanks.
Found in any wooded habitat, especially deciduous woods with patches of smaller trees or brush.
Have many Downy Woodpeckers living in my backyard, along with several other varieties. I love them all! This male Downy was at one of my feeders while it's mate was in a nearby tree.
Spotted on Dec 11, 2011
Submitted on Dec 13, 2011
3 Comments
We have loads here & they are very comfortable around humans & will often stay on the feeders when we are just a few feet away! We also have red bellieds, & I saw my first Hairy yesterday! My neighbor says he has seen a pileated woodpecker in our woods so I'm keeping my fingers crossed I will see it too!
It took a long time before I finally saw one - I'd hear them all the time and started walking around my woods almost daily trying to spot them. They are so tiny it's hard to find them, but once you do, then it's easy to spot them again! I guess they got fairly used to me because they finally quit hiding from me, and now I see them all the time :-) !
Waiting to spot one of these. We have lots of Acorn wood peckers and Nutalls here. There are Downys too. Yet to spot them. These are the three major species here.