10 Downy Woodpeckers Facts

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

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[@lisamills3228]

Thank you Leslie, we have apparently 5 different types woodpeckers on our property

[@stephenspark9358]

Just curious is it common in Canada to call Orchards Orchids I have heard you Pronounce Orchards as Orchids several times not Trolling just curious ?

[@stephenspark9358]

Have you ever heard that Downy Woodpeckers also eat poison ivy berries I have, just wondered if you had?

[@realmattpcd]

How did you get them to eat from your hand

[@WebFanNY]

@LesleytheBirdNerd We found out this year we have four species living in our wooded backyard here in Upstate NY, including the giant Pileated Woodpecker that inspired Woody. It's a monster the size of a forearm and it clears the yard when he eats off the feeder paste we leave for it. all squirrels and birds get out of the way.

[@tardigrade9493]

For ten minutes I escaped the pandemic into the charming world of this little woodpecker. Thank you.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Oh man that makes my heart smile :) you're very welcome take care

[@tardigrade9493]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd :-)

[@spark_6710]

WELL SAID !👍💜💜💜💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💕💞

[@spark_6710]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd 💜💜💜💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💖💕💞

[@jfphotography69]

You mean plandemic.

[@nathanielscreativecollecti6392]

My favorite fact was that they are terribly adorable.

[@mamaboocee]

Here's something interesting...the Jays know that when I hear a downey or a red bellied woodpecker, I will especially make sure they get their own peanut. So, I have a Blue Jay that now imitates them to get my attention. I heard him/her do this and was surprised when I looked up to find a blue jay staring at me instead of a Woodpecker! I have heard them imitate the hawks as well, but this impersonation of the woodpeckers was spot on! Another reason to love those Jays!

[@jeremybyington]

The jays bang their beaks into the wood? Are their skulls equipped with a shock absorber as well or are they giving themselves concussions to get a peanut?

[@mamaboocee]

@@jeremybyington what? They make CALLS like the woodpeckers, not drum like a woodpecker. Knucklehead.🤯🙂

[@artbloomfield1550]

Like Jeremy Byington, I thought you were talking about drumming, I have never heard any other sounds from them. 72 but still learning 🙂

[@mamaboocee]

@@artbloomfield1550 yes, they sound like the cartoon character woody woodpecker (the red bellied woodpeckers) and the downey has a lovely squeaky kind of sound! There are two different kinds of drumming sounds - one that is just the sound of getting food, and the other is for mating. I only learned this all during the summer of covid! So, my apologies to you and Jeremy! I never even saw a downey till this summer and jeesh, they really are all over the place! Nuthatches, too! You can search for all the bird calls here on youtube, there are many fine examples - Lesley being the first lady of Birding!

[@mamaboocee]

@@jeremybyington my apologies, I was once a birding knucklehead! See my comment to Art above this one! 😁

[@steve24todd]

I appreciated learning that the drumming was about attracting a mate, not about feeding. Thx.

[@HSkyler]

I did not know the drumming wasn't for food! The peanut feeder attracts both Hairy and Downy, plus the Acorn and Flickers. There could be more but the Hairy and Downy are regulars. Adorable little things! Thank you for a wonderful video!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Cool, thanks!

[@alehman35]

My favorite kind of woodpecker. I rescued one who got stuck on our screen door after a crash. I was honored she trusted me to hold her a bit while she recovered.

[@NewEnglandNaturalist]

I didn't realize they were so helpful to our ecosystem. I love them even more now!

[@donnabeaudin9114]

I was so glad you showed all the differences between the Downy and Hairy. They come to the suet every winter and everybody in the family who sees them says, “ Is that a Downy or a Hairy?” Armed with the knowledge that you’ve shared, I’m going to look pretty smart this winter!😄

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

lol to funny

[@claireusilton4066]

Liked the facts about the feathers that keep the wood chips and dust out of their nostrils. As always: thank you for this piece of heaven!❤️

[@KarlBunker]

As a fellow woodworker, I'm jealous of these birds having a built-in dust mask.

[@annetteenzoulis4870]

@@KarlBunker and probably of being able to attract females by knocking on wood! 😆😆👍🤦‍♀️🙋‍♀️

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

I don't know why I always do this but I think it may be because I never hear this word being said and for some reason, I always pronounce it "orcid" when it should be "orchard". Hahaha oh my 😏 This error slipped on by. Very sorry for any confusion.🐦

[@Ebolter1]

it happens , no big deal

[@desertfox3860]

I knew what you meant Lesley. My place is surrounded on all sides by Apple and Pear orchards and I do have a little Downy woodpecker at my suet block. Very nice video, thanks for sharing. Also, the nostril feathers was my favorite new thing to learn.

[@BK-qp8zp]

Because you have such a lovely Canadian accent, I just figured I'd misunderstood something. I can't tell you how very much I enjoyed this video! There are several woodpeckers that are regulars at my house but I didn't know that much about them, other than the obvious. They are the cutest things!

[@lindasueplantsforyou263]

Thank you for this. We have many birds and these are my favorite next to my yellow finches. Can you say if the woodpecker damages the trees?

[@donnabeaudin9114]

That’s no problem, You didn’t miss a beat and I knew what you meant. I wish I could speak two languages, but I’m still working on my English.😁

[@ervinabajrami]

The fact that they do not make so much noise when they seek food was quite interesting. I began to think that they simply do not make noise when they don’t have to, and that’s quite beautiful... and wise. Thank you!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

I agree, good point

[@brendahorton4907]

Love birding and I’ve really enjoyed your videos. Watching my birds help me relax and I thank God for them.

[@daviddoulong3120]

Thank you for teaching me that drumming is not searching for food. I had no idea.

[@mickianderson4359]

Me either! A neat, fun fact!

[@LaFmAn9]

Downys are really cute! I decided to up my bird watching game this year, since there isn't much else to do thanks to the plandemic. I added two suet feeders to my collection of three seed feeders. What a pleasant surprise that was! Within the first week I had visits from three different types of woodpeckers. First was a Downy it took me a few days to identify because I had never even seen or heard of a Downy woodpecker before adding the suet feeders. Since then she's become a welcomed regular! Second was a massive Pilated woodpecker. I instantly knew what I was looking at because of their popular appearance, but I had no idea how big they were! It seemed more interested the the cats dry food, flew off and hasn't returned since. Lastly is the Red-Bellied woodpecker also a very welcomed frequent visitor! I can not stress just how happy I am that I added the suet feeders to my yard! I even started adding a wide variety of fruit, berries and seeds. Which made a big difference. Just this year from spring till now I've had eight or so new visitors to my yard. Among the woodpeckers I've gained white-breasted Nuthatches(so cute the way they run up and down the trunk of the tree), Brown-headed cowbirds, Dark-Eyed Junkos, Eastern Phoebes, and my new personal favorite the Tuffed Titmouse! They make the coolest electro sounding bird call. Even had a couple visits from a Cooper's Hawk. Can you blame them? Some days my yard must look like a buffet to them. Upwards of a hundred birds at some points, including a half dozen squirrels too. LoL Thanks for doing what you do by sharing. Love the content and quality. Take care.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Lovely story and thanks for sharing it with me Thanks a lot for watching glad you enjoyed

[@joelhenderson4450]

My four year old just asked for a downy woodpecker video and a hairy woodpecker video... Lesley to the rescue!

[@mitchc6059]

I could listen to Canadians say about all day 😄

[@notthatdonald1385]

Me too.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

ahboot

[@alisonthorn2573]

These videos are single handedly getting me through 2020. So relaxing and informative. Well done, Lesley!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Thanks so much! Glad its helping

[@jennyd9543]

The drumming is absolutely amazing. To be able to move that fast is incredible.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

I know, it truly is fascinating. Such a neat ability

[@EternaMidnight]

Oddly enough the fact I enjoyed the most was that they lean on their stiff tail feathers for balance. Never would have guessed that 🤔

[@teufeldritch]

Downy & Hairy, brothers like Crow & Raven.

[@BrigitteCoffman]

Haha! I call them Cousins. Like Crows and Blue Jays. LOL

[@erin_keira]

Awe these little guys are so interesting! I was shocked to have one land on my hand at a local park while feeding chickadees...he didn't take any seeds, just sat and looked at me

[@appalachianwoman561]

This little guy and the Red Bellied Woodpeckers always show up at my feeders in the winter, they even still come during the Spring/Summer but not as frequent as the winter time. Such beautiful little birds. Can't help but notice this month I've only seen a little male at my feeders, and I hope that the female is nesting and that the tornado on May 16th didn't cause any harm to them.

[@stephaniehill5043]

Such a lovely little break from all the chaos going on, and a good reminder to focus on what is beautiful and good. Thank you Lord for giving us all these wondrous creatures, and thank you Lesley for sharing these joyful moments with us! God bless you😊

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

You are so welcome

[@vanilittlestar6357]

OMG I LOVE DOWNY WOODPECKERS ❤!!! They are so charming & sweet. They are so wonderful to watch & hear. So cute!! Love them!!!

[@Grandizer8989]

Yeah... until they put holes in your house and kill other birds babies

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Yes they are!

[@beebop9808]

Love those little guys, especially when it's time for the babies to come out. Most babies are screaming at their parents to be fed but not the Downy's. They hang upside down on the suet cages quietly beside mom or dad while they eat and patiently wait for their food. So cool! :)

[@kath610]

These sweet little birds make me smile every time I see them😊

[@DRAGNET-pn5vf]

I THOUGHT THE LOUD NOISE FROM THEM PECKING WAS FOR FOOD AND NOT FOR COMMUNICATING. THANKS FOR SHARING!🇺🇸✌️👍

[@manubird2475]

A lifetime and 60 years ago, Downy woodpeckers would drive us nuts in our very old, wood shingled house in northern New Hampshire. They would show up at the crack of dawn (I'm tempted to say the crack of downy) to peck bugs out of the rotting shingles. They drove us crazy! No more sleep! Still, my family loved those woodpeckers. They were very resilient, and they survived when so many other species disappeared during the DDT time in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Bluebirds, goldfinches, hummingbirds, hawks, and so many other species disappeared because of DDT contamination that affected egg shell strength, etc. Thank you for this video, and aloha from Hawai'i!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

So sad. Thanks for sharing your story

[@marylou7089]

I didn’t know that drumming was for mating purposes. Very interesting. Thanks Lesley.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Glad it was helpful!

[@micahbirdlover8152]

I love the sound of Woodpecker pecking 🥰

[@juliej5917]

Thank you! I never realized the drumming was to attract a mate, and general feeding is not too noisy!

[@mc12358]

This was amazing. Great job filming and editing all of this footage. Downys are so so cute.

[@turtlelake5560]

Woodpeckers and buggy trees are in my yard so now that winter is here, I am feeding suet. Please help with suet do and don'ts. I AM A BIRD NERD TOO!

[@zzz7zzz9]

i have a downie that just showed up recently to our suet.

[@thomaslong8401]

Downy woodpeckers always put me in a good mood.

[@M00Nature]

My favorite new fact was that males and females forage on different parts of a tree. I have noticed that the male downy often drives the female off of my suet cage. Definitely dominant. I have a female downy that likes to roost in one of my bluebird boxes in the winter.

[@ruthsonger2178]

God gave me a wonderful gift this year - knowing 2020 was going to be a heavy lift. I had a mating pair of red headed woodpeckers here all summer! (And yes, I know the difference between red headed and red bellied). I went overboard making this a welcoming spot with special foods I made myself and I was even more rewarded with at least three red headed babies born (all I could count in one sighting). This was a most wonderful year for me because of this special gift.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Thats awesome Ruth, thanks for sharing, hope they stay for ever!

[@edcrutchfield3447]

Such a special video and moderator. Thank you . Please do more 🦜🦤🕊

[@GaryAa56]

I have Downy Woodpeckers visit my bird feeders and Suiet evey day. Ithey are wonderful Birds to watch and they let me get real close.

[@Jerid58]

We just bought a new home on a lake. I hung a suet feeder yesterday.... been a downy on it for well over an hour since I got home.

[@alorr4uz]

I have both downy and hairy and I can never tell them apart. they don't sit still long enough!

[@freddyfriesen]

They are so cute when they come as a pair. Now I know it is the result of successful drumming. Yeah, they like taking advantage of the many suet cages in my feeding area.

[@thenaturekid3739]

This year in Spring some chickadees made a nest on my back porch. After they fledged, i touched one. It was very soft and cute. The next day, i did not see any baby chickadees, but i did hear them all over my backyard. Now that it is fall, i miss those birds. But i do have a cute and sweet pet chicken named Chickadee.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing

[@jackvoss5841]

I’ve watched these critters travel upwards, along the top edge of branches. Their heads are lowered, lower beak scraping along the bark. It looks as though they’re scooping up bugs on the run. Clever birds. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@earllutz2663]

Thank you for the video. I have extremely low vision & enjoy hearing all wood peckers. Thank you again.

[@Prozrenie]

Thank you SO, SO much Lesley! I've been watching Downys for 40 years, but didn't understand e.g. real reasons for drumming! Great work you have done, AND THANKS MUCH!! -Joseph

[@earllutz2663]

Thanks for the video on the downy woodpeckers. I very much enjoy hearing the woodpecker drumming in my woods, although I don't know what kind of woodpecker it is that I am hearing.

[@hawgbreath]

My wife and I were fortunate this spring to watch a pair of Downys build a nest cavity, mate and raise a brood in the river birch in our front yard. We watched as they excavated the cavity over a period of about 10-12 days. We would spend hours on our front porch watching them. The tree is only about 25 feet from the porch and the cavity was drilled out around 30 feet up and facing the porch. Over the next several weeks we watched as the parents began feeding the nestlings and finally watched as the fledglings left the nest. There were three altogether with the last one leaving a day or two after the first two. We’re still visited by a pair everyday and hope to see a repeat performance next spring! Edit: spelling

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

That would be so awesome if they came back Thanks for sharing your story

[@hawgbreath]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd And thank you for this video and the stories you share about our feathered friends. I’ve especially enjoyed your stories about the Blue Jays 👍

[@danherrmann8755]

You are so lucky to feed birds out of your hands. You are blessed Thanks 😊 so much.

[@robertrhodessr3664]

How interesting! I never knew that their drumming was actually a mating call. I grew up hearing the downies and other woodpeckers making all that noise in the spring, but always thought they were foraging! They are one of my favorite birds. Thank you very much!

[@forrestthompson8714]

Raising one right now, 6 days old and healthy, tree fall. So small thought it was a mockingbird at first

[@Geekeric]

These are super common here in eastern Canada. If you put out some suet, they will often arrive in minutes.

[@samnix8882]

I love these little guys; I see them in my backyard all the time!

[@ivanahugankiss8414]

I get alot of these at my bird feeder that contains sunflower hearts and nyger seed. And thank you! I'm a novice bird watcher and enjoyed this informative video!

[@repetemyname842]

We have a lot of these guys around, they are actually pretty friendly and seem to enjoy coming over for a look when Im outside. Any bird that is a bug eater is a fine bird in my book and its great to know they can live for a decade or more.

[@victoriawilliams2786]

I've been feeding a pair of these suet this summer (2022) here in Maine. They prefer the peanutbutter kind at Walmart. They're not afraid of my cat on her harness and leash.

[@joeschmoe2011]

I have a couple that come to the feeders (Missouri). They seemed to struggle with the feeders and they were ran off by the other birds often. I started spreading the bark butter toward the top of the 4"x4" poles that hold up the roof of the deck. They are one of the few birds that can land on the pole and eat the bark butter. I think I saw a Carolina Wren on the pole eating earlier today also. The bigger birds have given up trying. So today after the snow storm the two Downy woodpeckers flew in, right to their pole and ate away. No problem from any of the other birds.

[@Solitaire1]

I use a window suet feeder held on by suction cups and I get these little beauties coming in all the time. I can hang out on the inside and get a very close up look at them as they come in to feed. I have at least 5 or 6 individuals that stop by throughout the day. They are absolutely one of my favorite birds to watch.

[@bs-vo1ii]

I love our woodpeckers! All birds but.... They're cool....every once in a while we have one peck the house that is not wood...

[@mfthom]

Have I mentioned, lately, how much I love your videos?

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Glad you like them!

[@JD-bf1bu]

My favorite woodpeckers are the flamebacks which are found throughout India and Southeast Asia. They have incredibly gorgeous red and golden plumage.

[@debralutch9106]

I would love to thank you for the educational piece on the downy woodpecker! I am also very excited to teach this to my nine year old granddaughter and start to get her interested in the beauty of birding!

[@dianamccay7276]

I have a sweet little female Downy that eats from the suet feeder in my back yard. I get tickled watching her because she positions herself above the feeder and walks backwards down the tree to get to it and eat from it. It’s cute to watch! 😊

[@robertcoren7318]

I’m a huge fan of all species of woodpeckers and but I was not aware that drumming was part of the mating cycle. Thanks for sharing that information.

[@yes350yes]

Same Here.

[@petemavus2948]

It's Thanksgiving...Happy Thanksgiving to all ! I am especially grateful for all the wonders of nature. Please help nurture and protect this beautiful world entrusted to us all. Stay well !

[@myka788]

A few rainy days ago I saw a beautiful Pileated Woodpecker in a national park in my town. It was so curious about me! Then I saw a couple Downy Woodpeckers right down the trail. Beautiful lil things 🥰

[@AbsolutelyAdorableStudio]

Hehe downy woodpeckers are so cute!! Every time I look in my backyard I see them scaling the trees for snacks ❤️

[@benpluta6187]

We have a lot of these little guys at the house. They make a neat noise when flying.

[@JoJoDoxieMom]

Thanks 😊, learned a lot about my visitor that occasionally pecks away on my house!

[@Bait2plate]

A Downy just started frequenting my feeder. First one I've been able to observe. I'm delighted.

[@chumchum4393]

One of my woodpecker’s got stuck in my pool enclosure. It took off a while to get them out safely. I love my woodpecker’s.

[@DerekLB]

I wish we could post pics. Saw a pair of Downy's this weekend along with a Pileated Woodpecker. That wasn't all I saw. Blackpoll, Redtart, Phoebe, Carolina Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Mississippi Kite, Prothonotary Warbler among many others.

[@atheistsince1210]

Yes I have the flickers as well as a few months ago I was driving and a giant Pilated woodpecker flew across the road from tree to tree those are AWE INSPIRING!

[@donnahampton1009]

I found one laying in my yard a couple weeks ago. It had flown into a window and knocked himself out I think. I had heard a loud noise and went out to see I held him and he came to after a few minutes of me rubbing him/her. He didn't want to leave then. Lol. He sat on my hand for about 40 min then he took off! I loved it! .

[@barbaraholt3971]

Oh thank you for the information on this lovely bird. I’m from Oklahoma and we have one in our back yard. We feed the birds and and squirrels and we have 8 different kinds of birds. We just love watching them from our patio and they have gotten so use to us that they are not scared of us. My cat loves sitting at the window and watching them. My cat will let me know it is time to feed the birds if I’m late lol

[@mkivy]

Thank you sooooo much! We just adore our neighbors! What a world would be without them! Well we wouldn’t have a world! Take care and stay blessed!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

So true! You are welcome, glad you enjoyed

[@claudiasmigelski1528]

Enjoyed learning you hand fed the woodpeckers!

[@sethgabel6366]

I have a downy woodpecker that's in our birdhouse right now. I'm stoked.

[@bobmclennan1727]

We've just started putting feeders on our back deck in Chicago this year, and by far our favorite sight is the downy woodpecker pair that show up (always individually) almost every day. They're such nice little birds, I swear you can see them "waiting in line" for the suet feeder when other birds are there first.

[@heatherdriesse2996]

Fascinating!!! Always something new to learn no matter how old you are. This grandma/lifetime bird lover never knew the drumming was actually the woodpeckers “mating call”. AMAZING how God created these little guys. The brain protection is another incredible feature of Gods creativity. Imagine a human doing the same thing!! 😳

[@FeltWarrior]

The ones that visit my suet feeder will sometimes chirp. They definitely are acrobats. I saw one keeping dry in downpouring rain by hanging on to the under side of a large tree branch.

[@Nautical_Parsnip]

I have this female woodpecker who’s been a regular at my feeder for months now. Given the holidays are coming up I’ve decided to name her “Little Drummer Girl.”

[@reekz1568]

I nursed one of these back to health years ago.

[@karlstine2065]

I and my wife really enjoy your videos. Thank you.

[@lazlobean]

Thanks! I didn’t know that the hammering is to find a mate. Next time I hear it, I will know what it means.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Glad to help

[@richardkatz8713]

My fav drumming for mating not feeding

[@notsogga]

Sometimes these woodpeckers come to a nearby tree during the day. One time i saw about 5 of them in the tree.

[@kataisa3]

I love woodpeckers! Thanks for uploading this.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

No problem! Thanks for watching

[@normasegarra3795]

I love downy woodpeckers! I have them and red bellied. I'd love to have a pileated in my yard.

[@joeytofil2259]

I've only seen one twice in my life, and both times it was just around sunrise. They prefer bigger trees, so try going camping or visiting a park around that time for a better chance. Hope you get to see one visit you, their size is pretty startling!

[@thisismeep]

My favorite fact from this video is how the Downey has a shorter, cuter little beak than the Hairy Woodpecker! And the theory that woodpeckers have mimickers as an evolutionary tool of survival 👍 great video!

[@bonnizajac8916]

I love all Woodpeckers ❤️

[@Joodster]

I love watching the downy and hairy woodpeckers that visit our feeders every day.

[@kimworkman2425]

We have alot of them where I live and thanks to you, now I know which is the male

[@josephromo1059]

Wow I always thought the loud pecking was them feeding. I had know idea that they can't make sounds like other birds. So they use it as mating calls, and and communicating. Thank you so much for always teaching us new things about our feathery friends.

[@kevinbruce2776]

I have a bowl of bird food and almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts and when I have my pension check I sometimes treat with cashews. They come and feed on even now in June, July and August. Don't know if they're taking the free food or just adding to the rest of their diet because they're here every day. The blue jays dominate the bowl in winter with a woodpecker that comes by less frequent but the Downy man is my favorite when he chirps it sounds like he's laughing.

[@carolynandreasen240]

I have downy woodpeckers come to my suet feeder. I love watching them. I enjoyed watching the downy “drum”.

[@dsc4178]

Hearing Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers is something I've always enjoyed. Favorite birds.

[@eddiecoates4045]

We live in New Smyrna Beach Florida and our backyard area is designated for birds.We have several birds and my wife has an app the identifys bird sounds. Some morning she has gad up to 30 birds identified. From the smallest like humming birds to migrating birds. Canadian geese just the other day. Lots of water birds. Love those pink flamingo’s flying in the morning.

[@wezlydog]

I have a male and female that eat from my feeders daily! I love to watch them!

[@samirahaslet8227]

Hi LesleytheBirdNerd I enjoyed the fact about the feathers over the nostrils! Like a buzzard with no feathers on its head!

[@easydiddit]

I love the "Cute as a Button" pullovers. 12 wonderful people in my life are going to wrap themselves in your love this Christmas. I love your heart.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Oh wow!. Thankyou so much