DOWNY WOODPECKERS

First Day of March, my goodness!  Where did that month go?

My post today is about the Downy Woodpecker.  Its scientific name is Picoides pubescens and I picked up bits of information here and there. I get them regularly at my feeders.  A pair comes by every day, and I find them delightful.  In this photo the female is on the rail and the male is on the suet cage above.  She has already had her turn up there.  

According to this link, "The oldest known Downy Woodpecker was a male and at least 11 years, 11 months old, when he was recaptured and rereleased in 1996, during banding operations in California.  He had been banded in the same state in 1985."  There is also a very interesting map of their range at this website, which seems to be throughout most of the United States and Canada.  

They are very small at 6 inches in length and weighing less than an ounce.  Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest of North America’s 22 native woodpecker species. 

They are very similar in look to the Hairy Woodpecker. I have never seen one of those, or perhaps I did and didn't know the difference.  One of those differences is by the look of its beak.  The Hairy Woodpecker's beak has been described as spike-like, whereas the Downies bill have a smaller, shorter bill.  

Downy Woodpeckers are smaller than Hairy Woodpeckers.  Another factor is that their outer tail feathers on a Hairy Woodpecker is pure white, while Downy Woodpeckers typically have white feathers with black barring, giving the effect of being spotted.  Both male woodpeckers have a splash of red on their heads, and both sexes have the black and white appearance that I have grown to love the sight of at the feeders.  

Reading about them even further, I learned that Downy Woodpeckers adapt to the winter climate by changing their foraging habits. They have been known to join a flock of chickadees which might also include brown creepers, red-breasted nuthatches, and golden-crowned kinglets. These mixed species flocks enable member birds to avoid predators and take advantage of available food resources.

On the next photo you can see the male House Finch on the left, the male Downy hanging on the pole appearing to wait his turn, probably hoping the Starling will move on soon.

If you go to this link, you will see photos and also hear its call.  This link gives you information on their life history.

And that's all on the Downy for today, except for the video which is 20 seconds long.  It might seem a bit boring but then you get a quick visit from the Downy Woodpecker at the end, coming in from the left.

Thanks for dropping in.  Enjoy your day!