Picoides pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766)
Picoides pubescens
Species recognized by T Orrell (custodian), The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
in 
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Animalia +
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Chordata +
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Aves +
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Piciformes +
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Picidae +
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Picoides +
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Picoides pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Picoides pubescens pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) +
- Picoides pubescens fumidus (Maynard, 1889) +
- Picoides pubescens gairdnerii (Audubon, 1839) +
- Picoides pubescens glacialis (Grinnell, 1910) +
- Picoides pubescens leucurus (Hartlaub, 1852) +
- Picoides pubescens medianus (Swainson, 1832) +
- Picoides pubescens turati (Malherbe, 1860) +
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Picoides pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766)
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Picoides +
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Picidae +
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Piciformes +
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Aves +
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Chordata +
- Archaea +
- Bacteria +
- Chromista +
- Fungi +
- Plantae +
- Protozoa +
- Viruses +
Table Of Contents
- Description
- Morphology
- Behavior
- Reproduction and Life History
- Trophic Strategy
- Ecology and Distribution
- Distribution
- Habitat
- Associations
- Conservation
- Relevance
- Uses
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- References and More Information
- Literature References
- Specialist Projects
- Common Names
Morphology
Physical Description
Downy woodpeckers are smallest woodpeckers native to North America. They are 14.5 to 17 cm long and weigh 21 to 28 g. They are largely black-and-white; their back is black with white down the center and their wings are black with white spots. The head is black with a white stripe above and below each eye. The tail is black with outer portions of white barred with black. The chest and belly are white to grayish.
Downy woodpeckers have whitish nasal tufts at the base of a thick, black, chisel-shaped bill. Males and females are similar in appearance, but the males have a small red patch on the nape of the neck. Juvenile males usually have a red patch on the forehead and lack red on the nape of the neck. Juvenile females look similar to juvenile males, but lack any red on the forehead or nape.
Downy woodpeckers are commonly confused with hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus), which have similar plumage, but are distinctly larger. Downy woodpeckers also have a shorter, stubbier bill (shorter than the length of their head) than Picoides villosus. The two species can also be distinguished behaviorally; downy woodpeckers give much less powerful vocalizations and tend to forage on smaller substrates than Picoides villosus.
There are eight recognized subspecies of downy woodpeckers. These subspecies are differentiated by geographic range and plumage variation. (Jackson and Ouellet, 2002)
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