Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpeckers are family favorites! We all love to watch the “Downies” who feed regularly at a suet feeder hanging from a wrought iron crane outside our family room window.

Downy Woodpecker on Suet, Photographed by Dan Mitchell

by Molly Evans

That these birds have become such regulars may be part of the special enjoyment we get from their visits.  Downy woodpeckers are year-round residents of the Portland metro area. We see them dining regularly at our suet feeder starting in the fall.  Through the winter and into spring we typically see one nesting pair, and later we enjoy seeing the pair bring their young to the feeder and show them the ropes!  As long as a food source is consistent and adequate, they tend to come back to it with much regularity.  In addition, they will readily drink from a birdbath. 

Male and female Downy Woodpeckers look much alike, but if you take a really good look you can tell the difference:  males have a red head patch, while females do not.  Another interesting physical characteristic:  the patterns of black and white on the back of their heads vary so much that an observant backyard birdwatcher may be able to tell individual birds apart.

Woodpeckers get their name from their feeding style.  They climb trees and “drill”, probing for insects with a straight, chisel-shaped bill.  The skull is reinforced to withstand shocks, and the unusually long tongue has a barbed tip with sticky secretions for extracting insects from holes.

Don’t be surprised if you see a Downy Woodpecker at your seed feeder.  Although insects account for 75% of the Downy’s diet, the bird also eats a significant amount of seed, fruit, nuts, bark and other plant matter.