The Downy Woodpecker

This weeks winner by popular voting is the downy woodpecker. The male to the left was captured by me yesterday enjoying some suet from my suet log. The logs are not very expensive usually $15 to $20 and they sell the plugs at most bird feeding stores. You can also expect chickadees to stop by as well.

A small woodpecker (6") which has an all white belly, black and white spotted wings, a black eye line, short black bill, a white stripe down the back and the male (like the one in the picture) has a red mark on the back of his head. Also you'll notice small black spots along the sides of its white tail. The female looks the same as the male but lack the red spot on the back of its head. Juveniles are the same as the female with the exception that some have a red mark near the forehead.

They are a cavity nester which can be attracted using nesting boxes. If you go to a bird specialty store they do sell nesting boxes for them. I should mention they are the least likely of the woodpeckers to use a nesting box. I found this out after purchasing mine. The box has been up for 3 years now and I've yet to have them nest in it despite the fact I get plenty in my back yard. They do excavate their cavity and both the male and female participate. They have 1 brood per year and lay 3-5 white eggs with no markings. Incubation last 11-12 days and both male and female incubate. (the female during the day and male at night) The fledgling stage is 20-25 days and both parents feed the young.

The downys diet consist of insects, seeds and will visit suet and seed feeders. I've found that any suet which contains peanuts they will like it. Also they like raw peanut half's. Not only do I use a suet log to feed them but I also use an upside down suet feeder. The one in the picture is mine and I purchased it from wild birds unlimited. It's a little more expensive but it's made from recycled plastic and will last forever. The nice thing about it is the grackles and starlings usually never figure it out. The other nice thing is that it is protected from the elements and last much longer with out getting mold on the suet. As far as using it, they use it as much as any other feeder I've used. Also you can purchase a cage type peanut feeder that allows you to place raw peanut half's in and the woodpeckers and chickadees love them.

They are a non migrating bird and you can enjoy them all year. Their habitat includes woods, farmland and suburbs. They are both abundant and wide spread where ever trees are present. Both male and female participate in behavior called drumming. This is loud, continuous and very rapid pecking on branches and hollow logs to announce their territory and attract a mate during the breeding season. When excavating a cavity or pecking for insects, the sound is different as they are light taps in irregular rhythms.

The downy is an easy bird to attract if you live in an area with plenty of trees. They are a joy to watch all year round and you can always count on them during the winter to brighten up your yard. I encourage you to try and attract them to your yard with suet and peanuts and once they arrive you'll be happy you did. I've found them to not spook very easily as many times while filling feeders I'll look around and there they are just a couple of feet away eating.

Remember to vote in the side bar for next weeks bird. Also continue to feed the birds even though it's summer and food is abundant. Birds often bring their young to feeders and the young often return to those feeders with their young in years to come. I hope you enjoyed the post and I'll be back next weekend with a new bird.