The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker species. It is found commonly throughout North America (avoiding the US southwest) in deciduous woodland open areas. You can also find them in suburbs, parks, and even in urban areas. You might find them at a bird feeder eating suet. The woodpecker is about 14 to 18 cm long with a wingspan of 25 to 31 cm. They weigh about 20 to 33 grams. The Downy Woodpecker also has an unusual flight pattern. They fly in undulating paths with quick flaps of the wings followed by the wings down their side. They have mostly black wings and backs with white splotches and a white to buff stomach. Males have red plumage on the back of their head, which the female lacks. This species is almost indistinguishable from the Hairy Woodpecker (they aren’t closely related, surprisingly). But this species is smaller, it has black spots on the tail feathers, and its bill is shorter than it’s head, and the Hairy Woodpecker has a bill the same size as its head.

The Downy Woodpecker eats mostly insects, like larvae inside of trees, ants, and caterpillars. They also eat plant material like berries, acorns, and grains. Because they’re small, they forage on big branches as well as on minor twigs. They are more acrobatic than larger woodpeckers and are seen hanging upside down on branches. They do more tapping on branches during the winter and scavenge from the surface of branches during the summer. During the winter, males and females forage in different places. Females forage on larger branches and trunks, and males scavenge on small branches and weed stems. The Downy Woodpecker is also a frequenter of mixed-species flocks, including chickadees and nuthatches in the winter. This strategy helps them find food, and they can worry less about predators. Downy Woodpeckers don’t usually migrate to new surroundings either, so only a few northern populations migrate southward.

Woodpeckers have a chisel-shaped bill that can penetrate trees. They don’t make much noise when they do this, and most of the noise you’ll hear from them is them communicating through tapping their bills. They tap rapidly in short bursts and then take breaks in between. They need to do this because their skulls heat up from the constant tapping. Woodpeckers also have long tongues to eat prey, and their tongues wrap around the skull of their head, cushioning the brain. There are other biological features that they have to protect themselves. Their brains are relatively small and smooth with a large surface area of them touching their skulls to prevent shaking. There is also cerebrospinal fluid that cushions the brain and keeps it from moving during pecking. Additionally, a membrane closes to protect its eyes the millisecond before the beak hits a surface.

The male and female eat in different places in fall and early winter, but mating couples form in late winter. The two mates will drum their bills on wood while the male gradually approaches the female. In spring, you might see the male and female in a courtship ritual, which includes flying between trees with slow, fluttering wing beats similar to a butterfly. After mating, the pair will excavate a dead tree or a dead part of a live tree, possibly lined with fungus, and create a cavity. Dead trees are easier to drill. This cavity takes about 1 - 3 weeks of both partners drilling. They like small, leaning stubs, not too far away from the ground. The cavity has a small entrance but a deep inside with space for a roost. The inside is lined with wood chips. Both partners incubate the 3-8 eggs, and this takes around 12 days. The baby birds are born pink, clumsy, with their eyes closed. The nestling period is about 18-21 days, but the young birds may follow their parents for a few weeks after. Downy Woodpeckers only produce one breed a year. This species isn’t particularly long living, although the longest living Downy Woodpecker lived for at least 11 years.