Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Order: Piciformes Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)
This is a female. The male Downy has a red patch on the back
of the head. The Downy woodpecker is the smallest of the North American
woodpeckers. At only 5 – 9 inches, it can feed on branches and limbs as small
as 10 cm in diameter. This allows it to feed where other woodpeckers cannot go.
These are common visitors to my suet and sunflower feeders.
During the summer they also enjoy the sugar water in my Oriole feeders and also
fresh oranges I put out.
A woodpecker that is very similar to the Downy, except it is
larger (9 – 16 inches), is the Hairy woodpecker.
By the way, did you know that a group of woodpeckers is also
known as a ‘descent’, or ‘drumming’, or even a ‘gatling’.
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