Photo: Cosmic Pomegranate / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 25.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Dryobates
- Species pubescens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes are alike overall — black-and-white with a white back and striped face — except the adult male has a small red patch on the back of the head (nape) that the female lacks.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles show red on the crown rather than the nape: males a fairly extensive reddish cap and females a reduced, streaked or white-dotted crown, all molting to black by late summer.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Downy Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Downy Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.6 g, with a wing length of about 9.1 cm and a tail of around 5.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 12.8 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Downy Woodpecker?
The Downy Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 25.6 g.
Where does the Downy Woodpecker live?
The Downy Woodpecker is found across North America with a range covering NA widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Downy Woodpecker belong to?
The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Downy Woodpecker eat?
The Downy Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Downy Woodpecker migrate?
The Downy Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Downy Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Downy Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Downy Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Downy Woodpecker's range?
The Downy Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 12.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
How to Attract Downy Woodpecker to Your Yard
The honest, data-backed way to attract Downy Woodpecker to your yard — the feeders and food they actually use (suet), nesting help, and habitat that brings them in.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.