Aerie Fowl: Downy Woodpecker

We've been a heavily visited port of call for daily food since we put the bird feeders out in late November/early December (after the ears went into hibernation). This and the next two posts will document some of the species that have been here on a daily basis.

Let's start with the woodpeckers. We see two different ones, the Downy and the Hairy. Both look virtually the same but the Downy is about half the size of the foot-long hairy. In both species the male and female are similar in color but the male has a red patch of feathers on the back of his head. Both species will travel with flocks of other small birds such as Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Titmice.

Female Downy Woodpecker on suet feeder.

Female Downy Woodpecker on tree.

Looking at the black and white pattern on this bird, it's easy to see why it and it's look-alike larger cousin the hairy Woodpecker are sometimes referred to as ladder-back woodpeckers.