Category Archives: Smallest woodpecker in N America

Thank You For The Pose Downy!

March 7, 2025

Looking like it is taking a pose at an awards ceremony, a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) sits in a Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). It’s waiting for a turn at the suet feeders where it competes with Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus), Tufted Titmice (Baeolophus bicolor), and Chickadees (Poecile). Sometimes I see as many as three Downies wrangling for a place at the feeders.

In the North American world of woodpeckers, the Downy comes in as the smallest. They have a length of 5.5 to 7 inches and weigh just .71 to 1.16 ounces. Like many birds, they are incredibly light in weight because their bones are hollow.

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I Need To Make Some Suet For The Birds

Seeing movement some distance from me, I focused my attention on what was going on. Turns out it’s a male Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) visiting me today.

This is the smallest woodpecker in North America. One that I often see, all year long. They’re fascinating and having them here year ’round makes me feel quite fortunate.

Seeing this one reminds me that I need to get busy and whip up some suet for them. They eat insects, and acorns, grains and berries. But they are particularly attracted to suet at my feeders. I haven’t put any out in quite some time.

Suet at the feeder will mean seeing these little woodpeckers more frequently. Perfect!