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Wildlife
- Birds - |
Downy Woodpecker
(Picoides pubescens) Y |
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RANGE: Breeds from western and central Alaska, northern Alberta,
northern Ontario, and Newfoundland south to southern California,
central Arizona, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida. Winters
throughout the breeding range, but are mostly migratory in more
northern populations and occurring irregularly southward.
STATUS: Common throughout most of its range.
HABITAT: Inhabits most of the wooded parts of North America, but
absent or rare in arid deserts and less common in dense forests.
Favors bottomlands but also inhabits open forests and woodlots,
orchards, hummocks, farmyards, and urban areas.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Suitable cavity trees. Strongest
nesting habitat association in red alder woodland and
streamside wetland and shrubland.
NEST: Prefers to excavate its cavity-nests near the tops of dead
trees or dead limbs of live trees in fairly open tree stands.
Also nests in live trees, especially if heartrot is present.
Generally, excavates new cavities each year; seldom reuses old
cavities or cavities of other birds. In the fall, excavates
fresh holes for winter roosts.
FOOD: Consumes diet that is 75 percent animal and 25 percent
vegetable material (beetles, mostly wood-boring larvae, make up
a large portion of the diet). Also eats wild fruits, corn,
poison sumac seeds, and mast.
REFERENCES: Adamus et al. 2001, Beal 1911, Bent 1939, DeGraff et
al. 1980, Johnsgard 1979, Kilham 1970, Lawrence 1967, Miller
1999, Shunk 2004, Thomas 1979. |
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