![]() ![]() Both species only lay eggs once a year with 3-6 eggs for the Downies and 3-8 for the Hairies. Both species use the woodchips that come from pecking to line their nests to cushion the eggs. The Downies nests are slightly smaller than the Hairies. Downy Woodpeckers hold the distinction of being the most common and smallest American woodpecker. They both prefer an angled branch with the entrance on the lower side to keep flying squirrels and sapsuckers from using their nests. Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Genus: Picoides Species: Picoides pubescens Introduction More often seen in winter at suet feeders than in the woods, Downys are year-round residents of ShenandoahNational Park and in most of their range. Both woodpeckers look for trees that have a fungus or rot problem, making it easier for them to peck out their nest holes. Downies nest in trees, tall weeds or in fencerows. They also take sap, and a few figure out how to sip the nectar. ![]() They both inhabit open woodlands, orchards, city parks and our backyards with deciduous trees. Tasty as insects are, Downy Woodpeckers are not particularly interested in a low-carb diet. So now we know they look alike, except for size. In spring and summer, Downy Woodpeckers make lots of noise, both with their shrill whinnying call and by drumming on trees.” Their rising-and-falling flight style is distinctive of many woodpeckers. Downy Woodpeckers hitch around tree limbs and trunks or drop into tall weeds to feed on galls, moving more acrobatically than larger woodpeckers. The outer tail feathers are typically white with a few black spots. In the East, this is the work of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an enterprising woodpecker that laps up the leaking sap and any trapped insects with its specialized, brush-tipped tongue. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. Courtesy Laurie Stuchlik Downy woodpecker on suet feeder What Foods Do Woodpeckers Eat Snow, sleet and bitterly cold temperatures are no match for woodpeckers. On a walk through the forest you might spot rows of shallow holes in tree bark. The black upperparts are checked with white on the wings, the head is boldly striped, and the back has a broad white stripe down the center. ![]() Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers give a checkered black-and-white impression. This difference in the two Woodpeckers’ body sizes is not always easy to notice. On the other hand, the Downy Woodpecker is about six and a half inches in length. The Hairy Woodpecker is much larger, clocking in around nine to eleven inches in length. The bill tends to look smaller for the bird’s size than in other woodpeckers. There is roughly a three-inch difference in size between the two birds. They have a straight, chisel-like bill, blocky head, wide shoulders, and straight-backed posture as they lean away from tree limbs and onto their tail feathers. So, let’s talk about what Downies look like! All About Birds describes the Downy this way: “Downy Woodpeckers are small versions of the classic woodpecker body plan. How about this? Downy v Pileated! Good feeder with a tail prop! DOWNY WOODPECKERS ![]()
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