Downy Woodpecker

Sticking with yesterday's woodpecker theme, here's a Downy Woodpecker I met last autumn. It's hard to see, but I'm pretty sure it's a male since there seems to be a hint of redness on the back of his head which shouldn't be there on a female.

Since it's usually hard to judge subtle size differences at a distance I usually differentiate the Downy Woodpeckers from the Hairy Woodpeckers by the Downy's proportionately short beak (at least by woodpecker standards). And here's a theory on why Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers look similar. If you want to see them "in action", here's a video.

October 14, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 250353122, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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