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Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Range & Recent Observations
Last Spotted Near You
About the Downy Woodpecker
The downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America. Length ranges from 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in). Downy woodpeckers primarily live in forested areas throughout the United States and Canada, with the exception of deserts in the southwest and the northern tundra. The bird nests in tree cavities and feeds primarily on insects, although it supplements its diet with seeds and berries. The downy woodpecker is very similar in appearance to the hairy woodpecker, although they are not closely related.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Dryobates pubescens
- Family
- Woodpeckers
- Order
- Piciformes
Similar species
Other members of the woodpeckers family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
- American Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides dorsalis
- Arizona Woodpecker Leuconotopicus arizonae
- Black-backed Woodpecker Picoides arcticus
- Black-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes pucherani
- Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Celeus castaneus
- Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
- Gila Woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis
- Gilded Flicker Colaptes chrysoides
- Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes chrysogenys
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
- Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus
Know when the Downy Woodpecker turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Downy Woodpecker
Optics
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Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
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