Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
The Downy Woodpecker has a specialized shock-absorbent skull and a tongue that wraps around the back of its brain to cushion the impact of drumming.
- Scientific name
- Dryobates pubescens
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Piciformes › Picidae › Dryobates
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, woodlots, orchards, and suburban gardens with mature trees.
- Diet
- Primarily wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, and caterpillars; also consumes seeds, berries, and suet.
- Range
- United States, Canada
- Size
- Length: 14-17 cm; Wingspan: 25-30 cm
- Lifespan
- 2 to 5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of standing dead trees (snags) for nesting, predation by domestic cats, and window collisions.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and often curious. Observe from a respectful distance of 10-15 feet to avoid interrupting its foraging. If an individual is found dazed near a window, place it in a ventilated box in a dark, quiet spot for an hour before release; seek a wildlife rehabilitator if it does not recover.
The downy woodpecker ( Dryobates pubescens ) is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America.
Photo: Alexis Williams, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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