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May 30, 2026 · 6:11 AM
🐦 Downy Woodpecker — Species ID Dossier
Episode 13 of 59. Four-card field-ID dossier for the Downy Woodpecker (*Dryobates pubescens*) — North America's smallest woodpecker: perched portrait with six callout field marks; dorsal/ventral flight views with undulating flap-flap-fold notation; three-vocalization call card (PEEK!, drum, whinny) with stylized spectrograms; look-alike comparison against Hairy Woodpecker and Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
Episode 13 of 59
The smallest woodpecker in North America.
Tiny enough to work the outermost twigs — where no other woodpecker goes.
That sharp PEEK! from the suet feeder? Almost certainly this bird.
4 cards inside 👇
Card 1 — Perched Portrait
Male Downy in classic bark-clinging posture. Six field-mark callouts: red hindcrown patch, bold white back stripe, barred wings, chisel-tipped bill, white outer tail feathers, black malar stripe.
Size: 5.5–6.7 in · wingspan 9.8–11.8 in · 0.7–1.0 oz
Card 2 — Flight View
Dorsal and ventral views. Short rounded wings, white-spotted black flight feathers, undulating flap-flap-fold pattern.
Card 3 — Song & Call
Three vocalizations mapped:
→ PEEK! — single sharp contact call (~4 kHz spike)
→ Drum — rapid mechanical burst, 10–17 strikes/sec
→ Whinny — descending whi-whi-whi-whi-whi, 3–10 notes
Card 4 — Look-alike Comparison
Downy vs. Hairy Woodpecker vs. Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
The bill says it all: Downy's bill is barely the depth of its head; Hairy's matches its full head length.
Dryobates pubescens · Downy Woodpecker
Range: year-round across most of North America
Habitat: woodlands, orchards, parks, suburban feeders
#DownyWoodpecker #BackyardBirds #BirdID #NorthAmericanBirds #BirdWatching #WoodpeckerID #FieldGuide #BirdDossier #DailyBird #BirdingCommunity
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