Species

Downy woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

The smallest North American woodpecker, a black-and-white regular at feeders and on garden stems.

Photo ShenandoahNPS (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (opens in a new tab)

Urban wildlife

At a glance

Size: About 14 to 18 cm long
Weight: About 20 to 33 g
Habitat: Woodland, parks, yards and orchards
Diet: Insects, including larvae inside stems and galls; seeds and berries
In Georgia: Common resident statewide
Voice: A sharp "pik" and a descending whinny
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Small; white back; black-and-white checked wings; short bill; males with a small red patch on the back of the head
Told apart from: Hairy woodpecker, which is larger with a much longer bill
Where to look: Feeders, small branches and even weed stems

Behaviour

Downy woodpeckers feed on thin branches and stems, including goldenrod galls, where they dig out insect larvae. They often join mixed winter flocks of chickadees and titmice.

Why they matter

Downy woodpeckers eat many insect pests, including beetle larvae that bore into trees. Their small size lets them feed on thin twigs larger woodpeckers cannot reach.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cavity dug in a dead branch
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 12 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 18 to 21 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Dead branches and old stems left in gardens provide food and nest sites.
Window strikes kill many woodpeckers; decals help.

Misconceptions

Woodpeckers damage healthy trees. Downy woodpeckers mostly work on dead wood and insect-infested stems.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	With mixed flocks	Drumming	Pairs forming	Nesting	Chicks	Young fledging	Present	Present	Present	With mixed flocks	With mixed flocks	With mixed flocks

Where it lives

Recorded in 62 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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