Downey woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens, is the smallest woodpecker

in North America. Adults are mainly black on the upper parts and wings, with

a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. There is a

white bar above and below the eye. They have a black tail with white outer

feathers barred with black. Adult males have a red patch on the back of the

head. The female lacks the red patch on the back of the head.It is virtually

identical in plumage pattern to the much larger Hairy Woodpecker. These

species are not closely related at all, and they will certainly soon be

separated in different genera (Weibel & Moore, 2005; Moore et al., 2006);

the outward similarity is a spectacular example of convergent evolution. Why

this is so cannot be explained with confidence; it certainly is interesting to

note that the species exploit rather differently-sized foodstuffs and generally

do not compete very much ecologically. Their breeding habitat is forested

areas, mainly deciduous, across most of North America to Central America.

They nest in a tree cavity, excavated by the nesting pair in a dead tree or

limb. The Downy Woodpecker can also be found east of Newfoundland and

Labrador, on the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. These birds are

mostly permanent residents. Northern birds may migrate further south; birds

in mountainous areas may move to lower elevations. Downy Woodpeckers

roost in tree cavities in the winter. Downy Woodpeckers forage on trees,

picking the bark surface in summer and digging deeper in winter. They

mainly eat insects, also seeds and berries. In winter, especially, Downy

Woodpeckers can often be found in treed suburban backyards and will feed

on suet at birdfeeders.