(Dryobates pubescens)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. It is 5¾″ to 7″ long, weighs ¾ oz. to 1 oz., and has a 10″ to 12″ wingspan. It is as long or only slightly longer than a backyard suet feeder. The back and belly are white to grayish-white. The wings are black with white bars. The tail is mostly black. The outer tail feathers are white with a few black spots. The head is black with a white bar above and below each eye. The throat is white. There is a conspicuous tuft of white hairs at the base of the bill. The bill is short and stubby, much shorter than the length of the head. Males have a small red patch on the nape of the neck. Juvenile males have a red patch on the forehead but no red patch on the nape of the neck. Females do not have a red patch, either on the forhead or on the nape. |
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Size |
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5¾″ to 7″in length 12″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) is a larger bird, 8″ to 9½″ long. It is significantly longer than a backyard suet feeder. The outer tail feathers do not have black spots. The bill is much longer, almost as long as the head. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is a larger bird, 7″ to 9″ long. The back is black-and-white barred. The lower breast and belly are washed with yellow. The belly is faintly barred. There is a large and conspicuous white patch on the wing. The forehead and forward part of the crown is red. There is no red on the nape of the neck. Males have a red chin. |
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Habitat |
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Deciduous and mixed forests, especially in birch stands; orchards. |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Nesting |
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The male and female excavate a nest hole in a dead tree or dead limb of a live tree. Excavation takes from 1 to 3 weeks, then the hole is lined with wood chips. The entrance hole is often on the underside of the stub of a fallen branch. The female usually lays 4 or 5 eggs, sometimes as few as 3 or as many as 8. The eggs hatch 11 to 13 days later. The young stay in the nest 18 to 21 days. There is only one brood per year. A new nest is excavated each year. |
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Food |
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Insects and insect eggs and larvae; berries; acorns; grains; suet and black oil sunflower seeds at bird feeders. |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common year-round resident |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives) | ||
Family |
Picidae (woodpeckers) | ||
Subfamily |
Picinae | ||
Genus |
Dryobates (Dryobates woodpeckers) | ||
Downy Woodpecker was formerly classified as Picoides pubescens. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2015 showed that the genus Picoides was not properly restricted (not monophyletic). Downy Woodpecker and four other species were placed in the newly resurrected genus Dryobates. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Batchelder’s Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens leucurus) Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens fumidus) Gairdner’s Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii) Northern Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens medianus) Southern Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens pubescens) Valdez Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens glacialis) Willow Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens turati) |
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Synonyms |
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Dendrocopos pubescens |
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Visitor Photos | |||
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Wayne Rasmussen | |||
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Woodpecker, Maplewood Hts Park |
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A morning greeter at Nerstrand Big Woods SP |
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Dan W. Andree | |||
Adult male |
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Adult female |
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A little male Downy Woodpecker perched on a deer antler. |
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Bill Reynolds | |||
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Tom Baker | |||
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
Visitor Videos | |||
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Other Videos | |||
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), Dorris Ranch, Springfield, Oregon Rob Mutch |
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About
Uploaded on Dec 16, 2011 Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downy_wo... [taxonomy:binomial=Dryobates pubescens] |
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Downy Woodpecker on Suet Cake MoviesMusicNature |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 12, 2009 This is a couple of Downy Woodpeckers that visit my suet cake quite often. If I'm sitting on the porch I can hear them pecking at the tree above waiting for a visit to the suet cake. I can be a few feet away from the suet cake sitting on the swing and they will come right up and start chomping on the suet while I'm there. The Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, is the smallest woodpecker in North America. Adults are mainly black on the upper parts and wings, with a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. There is a white bar above the eye and one below. They have a black tail with white outer feathers barred with black. Adult males have a red patch on the back of the head. Downy Woodpeckers forage on trees, picking the bark surface in summer and digging deeper in winter. They mainly eat insects, also seeds and berries. In winter, especially, Downy Woodpeckers can often be found in treed suburban backyards and will feed on suet at birdfeeders. https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDowny_Woodpecker&session_token=ncy9OGVbydBm_CiZjcDyMm7uRjJ8MTM5NDIyNjkwMkAxMzk0MTQwNTAy The background music is used with Thanks from freesound.org and the user billcanada http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=17881 |
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Visitor Sightings | ||||
Report a sighting of this bird. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 5/20/2018 |
Location: Maplewood Nature Center |
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Dan W. Andree February 2018 |
Location: Norman Co. Mn. adult male I am often amazed that these small woodpeckers and other non-migratory birds / mammals are able to survive the sometimes brutal winter conditions. However- some do. |
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Dan W. Andree 2/14/2018 |
Location: in the woods near the Wild Rice River in Norman Co. Mn. adult female |
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Dan W. Andree 2/8/2018 |
Location: in the woods near the Wild Rice River in Norman Co. Mn A little male Downy Woodpecker perched on a deer antler. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 11/5/2016 |
Woodpecker, Maplewood Hts Park |
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Wayne Rasmussen 6/28/2016 |
Location: Nerstrand Big Woods State Park A morning greeter at Nerstrand Big Woods SP |
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John & Susan 12/11/2015 |
Location: Louisville Twp (Shakopee area) They've been occasional visitors this year to our bird feeders. One with black sunflowers seeds & the other with blended bird feed. |
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Bill Reynolds 10/9/2013 |
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Tom Baker 4/15/2012 |
Location: Edenbrook Conservation Area |
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Tom Baker 12/31/2009 |
Location: Edenbrook Conservation Area |
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Tom Baker 8/12/2009 |
Location: Purgatory Creek Park |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Minnesota Valley NWR, Chaska Unit Minnesota Valley NWR, Long Meadow Lake Unit Minnesota Valley NWR, Louisville Swamp Unit Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, Lawrence Unit Nerstrand Big Woods State Park North Mississippi Regional Park Stanley Eddy Memorial Park Reserve |
Created 10/3/2012
Last Updated: