Downy Woodpecker
This Downy Woodpecker carving was hand-crafted from solid Basswood. The Downy Woodpecker, like the Hairy Woodpecker, can be generally identified by its white back. The Downy is much smaller with a smaller bill. The outer tail feathers generally have faint, dark bars or spots. Birds in the Pacific Northwest have pale, gray-brown back and under-parts. Rocky Mountain birds have less white spotting on the wings. Both Downy's call, pik, and whinny are softer and higher-pitched than that of the Hairy Woodpecker. Downy is commonly found, active and somewhat unwary. Often seen in suburbs, parklands, and orchards, as well as forests, it is a familiar visitor to feeders, particularly suet. Reference National Geographic Field Guide To The Birds of North America, Fifth Edition, Page 292
|