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sandee

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  1. 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.

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