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Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

Least Concern

Quick Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Abundance: Abundant
Habitat: Forest, Grassland, Urban, Mountain
Active Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Activity: Diurnal (Active during day)

A sparrow-sized woodpecker that is mottled black and white with a small red patch on the top of the male’s head. The smallest, tamest, and most abundant of the eastern woodpeckers, the Downy Woodpecker forages on trees, picking the bark surface in summer and digging deeper in the winter.

Diet

Insects, nuts and berries

Activity Pattern

Diurnal (Active during day)
Kingdom: Animalia
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Phylum: Chordata
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Class: Aves
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Order: Piciformes
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Family: Picidae
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Genus: Dryobates
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Species: Dryobates pubescens

Scientific Name

Dryobates pubescens

Common Name

Downy Woodpecker
Breeding Season
January-March
Migration Pattern
Non-migratory

Tracks or Signs

Drumming and tapping sounds especially in winter and spring

Behavior

Forages on trunks, limbs and branches of trees, sometimes upside down. Males and females forage in separate feeding areas in fall and early winter, then form monogamous pairs by late winter. More excavation and tapping occurs in winter.

Active Seasons

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Activity Pattern

Diurnal (Active during day)

Habitat Types

Forest
Grassland
Urban
Mountain

Geographic Distribution

Common and widespread throughout North America

Local Abundance

Abundant

Conservation Status

Least Concern

This species is widespread and abundant. No immediate threat to survival.

How You Can Help

  • Report sightings to contribute to population monitoring
  • Support habitat conservation efforts
  • Follow guidelines when observing wildlife

Additional Notes

Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers native to North America.

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