![]() ![]() The feather pattern on the back of the head of Downy Woodpeckers is unique to every bird and downies may use them to recognize other individual downies.As a result, Downy Woodpeckers in northern Canada are about 12 percent larger than they are in Florida. In winter, small birds tend to lose heat faster than larger birds due to the ratio of surface area to weight.The Downy Woodpecker was first formally described by the Swedish biologist, Carolus Linnaeus in 1766.The smallest North American woodpecker is the Downy Woodpecker at 6" in length.While not a true sapsucker, the Hairy Woodpecker seems to enjoy a sweet drink on occasion as they have been reported to drink from sapsucker wells, hummingbird feeders and even sugar cane plants.Beetle larvae and ants make up the largest portions of the Hairy Woodpecker’s natural diet.The Downy’s head is twice as wide as its very short bill. To help distinguish the difference between a Hairy and a Downy Woodpecker visiting your feeders, look for the Hairy’s chisel-like bill which is much longer than the Downy, which often equals the width of the rest of the head.Most species of woodpeckers are born completely naked, unlike many other birds that are completely covered with soft down feathers when they hatch.During cold winter weather, tree-foraging birds such as woodpeckers do not increase their body fat as much as ground-foraging birds, probably due to the fact that they roost in cavities overnight and that snowfall rarely hampers their ability to find food in trees as compared with birds searching for it on the ground.Woodpeckers have a better sense of smell than most birds and may be able to detect the strong odour of the formic acid that ants, bark beetles and termites excrete (smells like Sweet Tarts.).When feeding on wood, grubs make an audible sound that could be heard by a woodpecker.As the woodpecker strikes the tree, hollow sounds may echo off of the tunnels (galleries) of wood boring insects (like thumping a watermelon.).Woodpeckers may find their hidden prey by sound and/or smell.The oldest recorded Downy Woodpecker lived for 11 years and 11 months.They don’t sing songs but drum loudy instead.Downies create excavates on areas hidden by fungus or lichens for some camouflage.There’s a spongy elastic material between their bill and skull that protects their brain from shock.They have special features surrounding their nostrils that prevent them from breathing in wood chips.Downy Woodpeckers have been a symbol of bravery and hard work.Among the most common ones are hawks, falcons, snakes, squirrels, rats, other woodpecker species, and domestic cats. However, predators are the most common threat. This is most probably because these birds are adaptable to any alterations in their natural habitats. The population of Downy Woodpeckers has been stable for so many years. However, one notable difference is that the males have a bright red spot on their nape.ĭifferences In Summer Plumage vs Winter Plumage The tail area is also a combination of black in the center and white on the sides with black spots.Īn adult male and female Downy Woodpecker generally looks the same. The head part is generally white with black stripes, their back and chest area is white, their wings are black with white dots. These birds feature a color pattern of black and white. They feature a straight but short bill, they have broad shoulders, and their back is always straight while leaning away from the tree’s trunk. ![]() ![]() You can quickly identify a Downy Woodpecker because it’s generally smaller in size than a regular woodpecker. Conservation status: Least Concern (LC).Let’s jump right into it and learn more about the Downy Woodpecker. In this article, we are going to cover a wide variety of topics related to the Downy Woodpecker, such as: They are also considered agricultural friends because they mainly eat agricultural pests. They are widespread across the United States and have seven subspecies that differ in size and color pattern. The Downy Woodpecker is a small version of the classic woodpeckers we usually see. Downy woodpecker related species in this family.Downy woodpecker fun & interesting facts. ![]()
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