Just before pairing, the downy woodpeckers perform what is known as “the butterfly dance” - chasing each other through the trees holding their wings up high and slowly flapping them, just like butterflies. This is to proclaim that the mating season has begun! Nesting.ĭownys, male and females, feed separately up until early winter when the drumming begins! Both sexes take turns drumming on dead limbs in different beats and rhythms, loudly and continuously, in their separate territories. So if you have dead wood in the garden, leave it for the downys to create their love-nest. ~As for man-made bird nests - downy woodpeckers prefer dead trees, never man made nests. One of the downys’ main enemies are cats and many have died because of these furry felines. If you are just setting them up, expect their company, even through winter! However, if you have a cat, make sure the two shall never meet. But platform/hopper feeders can also do the trick with their favorite seeds. What kind of bird feeder do downy-woodpeckers prefer?ĭownys are big fans of bird feeders - mainly suet feeders, they're on the top of the list. If they get wet or mouldy, this can cause diseases. ~Little note: If you feed your birds with peanuts, try to change them daily. Though Downy woodpeckers usually prefer suet, another option is to give them black oil sunflower seeds, millet, peanuts and chunky peanut butter - and they can be as happy. In the summer they love to peck mainly on insects, berries and grains. For us, it’s like smelling a pie from a window sill not far away.īeing non-migratory, downys enjoy our feeders all through winter when insects are less frequent. So downys actually use smell and sound to find their grub! What they smell is the formic acid that ants, bark beetles and termites give off. When downys drum on a tree, you can hear hollow sounds emanating from the wooden tunnels of the wood as the downy can actually hear insects moving on it. Males usually graze comfortably horizontally. This also explains why female downys have longer tails since they have to hang upside down, bracing themselves on the branch or trunk to find food. Yes, males and females compete with each other for food! Males feed on small branches and weed stems, where bugs and insects are more present, leaving the females the thicker branches and trunks where there are much less insects to sup on. The male and female downy woodpeckers divide up where they look for food in winter. Well done, downy! What do downy-woodpeckers eat? If he reaches 5 he’s considered “old.” The oldest known downy lived to be almost 12 years old. The lifespan of a downy is between 1-2 years. Scientific tests have proven that even the downys themselves check for the red to see if they encounter a male or female!īoth male and female juveniles have red patches on their napes - but in a very pale hue. It’s as easy to distinguish between male and female downy woodpeckers: males have a red patch on their nape, the female lacks this splash of red. The downy woodpecker reaches only a quarter way to the nape. How do we know the difference? Check the size of the bill: The hairy woodpecker can reach with his bill all the way to his nape. The downy woodpecker is the mini-version of his sibling-species, the hairy woodpecker. The outer black tails are dotted white, like checkers. LOOKS:Īdult downy woodpeckers have a black crown that spreads around the ears, cheeks, upper back and down to the tail - with the broad white stripe that slides down the entire back all the way to his tail coats. They are the smallest woodpeckers in northern America, about 5-7 inches and weighing only 0.7-1.2 ozs, whi ch explains how these little ones are able to make acrobatic moves as they hop from branch to twig, from plant to bird-feeder. Nibbling and flocking among the chickadees, titmice and nuthatches, the downy woodpecker is only just a little bigger than its mates in the flock.ĭownys are a common sight in gardens, parks and deciduous forests. This little one can be the first on your list of “Birds I identified today!”
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