Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Introduction
The Downy Woodpecker is our smallest woodpecker. It is also one of the most widespread of woodpeckers and is a common visitor to urban suet feeders. It is a year-round resident coast to coast and from the tree line in Canada and Alaska to southern Florida and the riparian forests of southern California.
Identification
Adult Male (spring/summer)
Overall, black and white. Crown is black with a conspicuous white tuft above bill; supercilium white and both it and the black crown meet at red patch on back of crown. Wide black eye-stripe extends around head beneath red patch and, down middle of nape.. White submoustachial stripe extends to black stripe in middle of nape; black malar stripe extends to black scapulars. Chin, breast, belly and undertail coverts white. Back white; scapulars black; wings black with white spots/bars; and inner tail feathers black, outer tail feathers white with black spots.
Adult Female (spring/summer)
Similar to male, but lacking red spot on back of crown and the outer tail feathers have black barring.
Juvenile
Similar to adults but juvenile male has a red crown lacking in juvenile females.
General Information
General:
Small, short-billed woodpecker. Length: 14-17cm. Wing: 25-30cm. Weight: 21-28grams.
Behaviour:
The Downy Woodpecker exhibits classic upright woodpecker posture and, will often forage on twigs or weed stalks too small for most woodpeckers. Moves quickly along trunks and branches and can move horizontally or downward more easily than other woodpecker species. Flight is characteristic of woodpeckers, undulating with quick wing-beats alternating with folding wings against body. Feeds on insects, beetle larvae inside wood or tree bark. One quarter of diet is plant material: berries, acorns, and grains. It is a common visitor at feeders for suet and black oil sunflower seeds. During winter it an be found with mixed species flocks.
Habitat:
It is found in open woodlands, especially deciduous woods in proximity to streams, ponds, and lakes. Also a common sight in urban parks and back yard feeders; orchards and open areas along fencerows.
Information:
Interestingly, the only structural difference between males and females is tongue length, which allows the pair to forage in the same area using different methods on different tree species. The male will peck and the female will probe. An insect-eater, the Downy Woodpecker is often seen feeding on weed galls (such as goldenrod). Cavity nesters, the pair excavates a nest in a tree or dead shrub and lines it only with wood chips. Cavities are 15-30 centimeters deep, but the round entrance hole is only 2.5-4 centimeters wide. Clutch is 3-8 white eggs.
Similar species:
Hairy Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Conservation Status:
Listed as Least Concern. Since 1966 populations have been on the rise.
Maps & Statistics
Capture Rates
A year-round resident, the Downy Woodpecker nests in cavities of dead trees of mixed forests like those found on the outskirts of our banding station at Colony Farm. Capture rates are higher during the non-breeding season as foraging movement increases.
Ageing and Sexing (Band Size: 1B)
Molt Summary:
PF: HY incomplete; PB: AHY incomplete-complete; PA absent.
Preformative molt includes no to some inner, lesser and med covs, occasionally 1-6 inner gr covs, all primaries and rectrices, and 0-5 inner secondaries among S6-S11 but usually no primary coverts.
2nd PB usually includes all all wing covs, primaries and rectrices, but only 1-5 outer pp covs.
Subsequent PBs, from 1-5 SS can be retained. A variable number of PP covs can be retained during subsequent PBs but these molts are often complete.
Juvenile
These hatching year (HY) Downy Woodpeckers (DOWOs) are in full juvenal plumage, the male (photo below left) showing an extensive red juvenal crown patch. It has been suggested that both male and female DOWO juveniles have a red juvenal crown but it has been proven that DOWOs with an extensively red juvenal crown are, in fact, males, while those with a black, or mostly black, juvenal crown are young females (photo below right).
During this males first prebasic molt, its red juvenal crown will be lost and a red nuchal patch (on the back of the head) characteristic of ‘adult’ males will molt in.
Woodpeckers can be aged beyond the maximum after second year designation of most passerines.
Hatching year (HY) woodpeckers normally retain all of their juvenal primary coverts in this first prebasic molt.
Following their first prebasic molt, hatching year (HY) woodpeckers retain all of their juvenal primary coverts.
Notice the primary coverts of this HY male DOWO in October and that all feathers in this group are of the same generation (retained juvenal).
This HY female DOWO in August is undertaking its preformative molt. Notice that although coverts and remiges (primaries and secondaries) are being replaced, all of the primary coverts are retained juvenal feathers.
Second year (SY) birds have all juvenal primary coverts until their second prebasic molt, when they replace up to several outer juvenal primary coverts.
Its not until its third fall, when it is a third year bird, that it replaces any inner primary coverts and, as with this bird (photo below), a few middle juvenal primary coverts (now extremely brown and worn in comparison to the recently molted primary coverts on either side) sometimes are not replaced
So, with the change of the calendar year the bird below becomes an after third year (ATY), specifically a bird alive in its fourth calendar year.
Gallery
