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Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
The smallest North American woodpecker — black-and-white, the male dabbed red on the nape.
How to spot it
The smallest woodpecker in North America, about 15–17 cm, chequered black and white with a clean white back and a short, stubby bill. The male has a small red patch on the back of the head.
Where it lives
Resident almost everywhere there are trees across the United States and Canada — woodland, orchards, parks and gardens — and a regular, confiding visitor to feeders.
What it eats
Insects and grubs prised from bark and stems, along with seeds, berries and suet. Its light weight lets it forage on thin twigs and even weed stalks.
Song & behaviour
A soft "pik" call and a high, descending whinny, plus a short drum roll on a resonant branch that carries in spring.
Nesting
The pair chip out a small nest hole in a dead limb or trunk and line it only with a few wood chips.
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