img
Birds

Downy
Woodpecker

Least Concern

Stable

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. Adults are mainly black on the upper parts 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.

It 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. 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 treed suburban backyards and will feed on suet at birdfeeders

-

Regional Names
  • French:
    Pic mineur
Media Gallery
Taxanomy

PICIFORMES
PICIDAE
Dryobates pubescens

ADVERTISEMENT
Similar Birds

similar Birds you may like

img

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus
Read more
img

American Three-toed Woodpecker

Picoides dorsalis
Read more
img

Antillean Piculet

Nesoctites micromegas
Read more
img

Arizona Woodpecker

Picoides arizonae
Read more
img

Bay Woodpecker

Blythipicus pyrrhotis
Read more
img

Black-backed Woodpecker

Picoides arcticus
Read more
img

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Melanerpes pucherani
Read more
img

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Picoides nanus
Read more
img

Brown-fronted Woodpecker

Leiopicus auriceps
Read more
img

Chestnut-colored Woodpecker

Celeus castaneus
Read more
img

Cinnamon Woodpecker

Celeus loricatus
Read more
img

Crimson-bellied Woodpecker

Campephilus haematogaster
Read more
img

Crimson-crested Woodpecker

Campephilus melanoleucos
Read more
img

Cuban Green Woodpecker

Xiphidiopicus percussus
Read more
img

Darjeeling Woodpecker

Dendrocopos darjellensis
Read more
img

Fernandina's Flicker

Colaptes fernandinae
Read more
img

Freckle-breasted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos analis
Read more
img

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos macei
Read more
img

Gila Woodpecker

Melanerpes uropygialis
Read more
img

Gilded Flicker

Colaptes chrysoides
Read more
img

Golden-cheeked Woodpecker

Melanerpes chrysogenys
Read more
img

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes aurifrons
Read more
img

Golden-green Woodpecker

Piculus chrysochloros
Read more
img

Golden-naped Woodpecker

Melanerpes chrysauchen
Read more
img

Golden-olive Woodpecker

Colaptes rubiginosus
Read more
img

Gray-breasted Woodpecker

Melanerpes hypopolius
Read more
img

Gray-crowned Woodpecker

Colaptes auricularis
Read more
img

Great Slaty Woodpecker

Mulleripicus pulverulentus
Read more
img

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major
Read more
img

Greater Flameback

Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
Read more
img

Greater Yellownape

Chrysophlegma flavinucha
Read more
img

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Picoides canicapillus
Read more
img

Grey-faced Woodpecker

Picus canus
Read more
img

Guadeloupe Woodpecker

Melanerpes herminieri
Read more
img

Hairy Woodpecker

Picoides villosus
Read more
img

Heart-spotted Woodpecker

Hemicircus canente
Read more
img

Himalayan Woodpecker

Dendrocopos himalayensis
Read more
img

Hispaniolan Woodpecker

Melanerpes striatus
Read more
img

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

Melanerpes hoffmannii
Read more
img

Imperial Woodpecker

Campephilus imperialis
Read more
img

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Campephilus principalis
Read more
img

Jamaican Woodpecker

Melanerpes radiolatus
Read more
img

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Picoides scalaris
Read more
img

Lesser Goldenback

Dinopium benghalense
Read more
img

Lesser Yellownape

Picus chlorolophus
Read more
img

Lewis's Woodpecker

Melanerpes lewis
Read more
img

Lineated Woodpecker

Dryocopus lineatus
Read more
img

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Picoides nuttallii
Read more
img

Olivaceous Piculet

Picumnus olivaceus
Read more
img

Pale-billed Woodpecker

Campephilus guatemalensis
Read more
img

Pale-headed Woodpecker

Gecinulus grantia
Read more
img

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus
Read more
img

Puerto Rican Woodpecker

Melanerpes portoricensis
Read more
img

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus
Read more
img

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus ruber
Read more
img

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Picoides borealis
Read more
img

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Melanerpes rubricapillus
Read more
img

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Read more
img

Red-naped Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus nuchalis
Read more
img

Red-rumped Woodpecker

Veniliornis kirkii
Read more
img

Rufous Woodpecker

Micropternus brachyurus
Read more
img

Rufous-bellied Woodpecker

Dendrocopos hyperythrus
Read more
img

Rufous-winged Woodpecker

Piculus simplex
Read more
img

Scaly-bellied Woodpecker

Picus squamatus
Read more
img

Smoky-brown Woodpecker

Picoides fumigatus
Read more
img

Spot-breasted Woodpecker

Colaptes punctigula
Read more
img

Streak-breasted Woodpecker

Picus viridanus
Read more
img

Streak-throated Woodpecker

Picus xanthopygaeus
Read more
img

Strickland's Woodpecker

Picoides stricklandi
Read more
img

Stripe-breasted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos atratus
Read more
img

Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker

Piculus callopterus
Read more
img

West Indian Woodpecker

Melanerpes superciliaris
Read more
img

White-bellied Woodpecker

Dryocopus javensis
Read more
img

White-headed Woodpecker

Picoides albolarvatus
Read more
img

White-naped Woodpecker

Chrysocolaptes festivus
Read more
img

Williamson's Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Read more
img

Wryneck

Jynx torquilla
Read more
img

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius
Read more
img

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker

Leiopicus mahrattensis
Read more
img

Yucatan Woodpecker

Melanerpes pygmaeus
Read more