Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

Family
Picidae (Woodpeckers)

Size
17 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Linnaeus, 1766)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest, temperate forest, boreal forest, urban areas. From sea-level - 2,750 m.

Range (Guide)

Canada, St Pierre and Miquelon (NB) (P), USA (B).

Population
Estimated population is 13,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (178)...)

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) [XC134879]
by Paul Marvin from Grey Cloud Dunes SNA, Washington, Minnesota, United States (drumming)

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) [XC532741]
by Sue Riffe from Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County, California, United States (call, pik, tapping)

Subspecies
Most closely related to Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) and Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris), and has hybridized with former. DNA analyses also indicate possible relationship with Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) of the Old World. Further study is required. Nominate subspecies and medianus intergrade widely in central USA. Clinal variation in size, decreasing from north to south. Additional named subspecies nelsoni (Alaska to Alberta) and microleucus (Newfoundland) considered unacceptable.

The following 7 subspecies are recognised:

medianus (Swainson, 1832) - Central Alaska and Canada (east of Rockies, from southern Mackenzie and Alberta) east to southern Quebec and Newfoundland, and southern in USA to Nebraska and Virginia.
glacialis Grinnell, 1910 - South-eastern Alaskan coast.
gairdnerii (Audubon, 1839) - Western British Columbia southern along coast to north-western California.
leucurus (Hartlaub, 1852) - Rocky Mts from south-eastern Alaska south to north-eastern California, Arizona and New Mexico.
turati (Malherbe, 1860) - Inland Washington and Oregon, and California (except north-western and north-east).
pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) - Kansas east to North Carolina and south to eastern Texas and Florida.
fumidus Maynard, 1889 - South-western Canada and western Washington (USA).

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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