Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

The Downy Woodpecker’s breeding habitat is deciduous forests across most of North America. Where they live, they stay year round. These are the smallest of all North American woodpeckers. Some authorities still classify this bird by the older genus Picoides. 

Males and females do not spend time together in the winter. As mating time approaches, both males and females will drum on resonating material such as dead hardwood. Once the pair bond is established, they will cease the drumming and get to work on their nest hole in a dead limb or tree. It usually takes one to three weeks to complete. When the young are hatched, both birds provide captured insect prey for their hungry brood.