BIRDwatch

Downy Woodpecker

Inspectors of trees, with bounding flight and rat-a-tat racket: We’re talking about woodpeckers! The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is our smallest and most common woodpecker. Downies have white backs and undersides, with black-and-white wings and tail. Their white outer tail-feathers have black dots on them. Males have a splash of red on the backs of their heads. Why “downy”? Colonial naturalist Mark Catesby gave the species its common name, referring to the soft white feathers of the white stripe on the back. Since Downies don’t migrate, winter is a good time to check out these little guys. The absence of leaves makes it easy to see them as they forage along tree trunks in open woodlands or in our backyards. They often travel in small flocks with other birds, such as nuthatches and titmice. Listen for the Downies’ short “pik” calls, or the call that sounds like a descending whinny. They’re light enough to hang upsidedown on tiny branches or sycamore seed balls. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, studies have shown that males tend to forage more on smaller branches, females more on larger branches and trunks of trees. Although feeders are particularly helpful for Downies in winter, insects are their primary food source all year. Downies dig under tree bark with their stubby bills, capturing beetle larvae, or pierce the galls on weeds and branches to feed on wasp larvae. Their diet includes caterpillars and ants, as well as insect pests such as corn earworms and apple borers. In season, they’ll also eat berries, seeds, and grains. Starting in late fall, Downies carve roosting holes, one per bird, with a close-fitting entrance and cavity. They will sometimes use a birdhouse as a roost. Whether human- or Downy-made, this winter dwelling not only keeps them snug and cozy but also provides good protection from predators like owls. In late winter, Downies start drumming, rapid-fire pecking on a resonant tree. Why do they raise such a rumpus? They establish a wide territory, perhaps even overlapping with other Downies, then narrow their focus when they find a desirable nest site. Both male and female Downy Woodpeckers drum, each picking a favorite sounding board. Soon, the loud, staccato drumming may be supplemented by the tap-tapping of a mated pair, who alternate their taps in a ritual of communication. Downy Woodpeckers nest in dead trees or dead branches on living trees. One good-size tree or tall stub may eventually sport three or more holes: a woodpecker apartment house. This is a good reason to leave dead trees standing if they aren’t a danger to anything—your local woodpeckers and other species that may opportunistically use their holes the next year will thank you! Male and female Downies cooperate to dig round holes in the soft wood. Nesting cavities are wide at the bottom to accommodate the incubating bird and a growing family. The male does much of the excavation; the female does most of the incubation. The average brood, one per year, has four or five chicks. Youngsters are fed insects and fledge at about three weeks old. Fledglings stay near their parents for many weeks. Downies are frequent visitors to bird feeders, much more so than their larger look-alike cousins, the Hairy Woodpeckers. How does one tell them apart? The big Hairies are dressed in the same natty black-and-white, but have a much larger beak and no black dots on the tail feathers. (In the photo below, the Hairy is left of the Downy and more distant.)

This January, I’ve made a new New Year’s resolution. The head markings of Downy Woodpeckers are said to be unique. I’m going to watch our trees and suet feeders to see if I can learn to identify individual Downies. How many different birds are really bellying up to our backyard bounty? Stay tuned! o

By Cecily Nabors

Cecily Nabors is a retired software manager who has been watching and counting birds for much of her life. She publishes the GoodNatured Observations blog at cecilynabors.com.