{"id":2032,"date":"2021-09-01T00:10:21","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T06:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2021-08-30T16:09:49","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T22:09:49","slug":"our-smallest-woodpecker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/our-smallest-woodpecker\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Smallest Woodpecker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sounds may first alert birders to the presence of a downy woodpecker. A sharp \u201cpik, pik,\u201d or a shrill, descending whinny call catches your attention. A slow and intermittent \u201ctap-tap-tap\u201d hints the bird is feeding. A fast (up to 20 hits a second), insistent drumming may echo from a nearby tree, power pole, or even a metal chimney pipe (to ear-shattering effect) as the bird communicates, tries to attract a mate, or claims territory. The noises suggest a large bird. But the downy, our smallest woodpecker, is only 5 \u00bd to 6 \u00bd inches, somewhere between the size of a sparrow or robin.<\/p>\n

These small insect eaters nimbly circle tree trunks and branches to probe for edibles in the bark\u2014and equally nimbly vanish around the trunk when you try to look at them! When they leave for the next food tree, they move with undulating flight.<\/p>\n

Downy woodpeckers are found in woodlands, orchards, parks, riparian areas, and leafy back yards, and although never numerous, they are year-round residents.<\/p>\n

Look Alikes<\/h2>\n

They are common feeder birds and will consume black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, millet, and suet. While feasting, they stay put and allow watchers to study what distinguishes them from their near look-alikes, hairy woodpeckers (which are roughly 1\/3 larger than downies).<\/p>\n

Both species are black and white, males have red on the head, and both species have stiff, pointed tail feathers that help brace them as they spiral up trunks or when they hammer away to get food or chisel out nests. Both species have similar foraging behaviors, although the smaller downies seem to select smaller, slimmer, higher branches, but not always. Both have similar feet with two toes forward, two toes back, to help them climb. How do these two species differ besides size? The best clues are the bill size and shape. A downy has a small, dainty bill, about half the length of its head; a hairy has a heftier, thorn-like bill almost as long as the width of its head from front to nape.<\/p>\n

It is said, \u201cBirds of a feather flock together.\u201d Downy woodpeckers don\u2019t flock with masses of their own kind. They only pair with their mates. But in winter, downy woodpeckers do associate with other small birds as they forage, forming loose mixed flocks with chickadees and nuthatches. Many pairs of eyes are an asset in food finding. When predators lurk, some safety comes with numbers. Mixed flocks are aware of all alarm calls\u2014even from other species they travel with\u2014and the whole feathered gang teams up to mob any dangerous intruder. Predators? Think domestic cats, hawks, squirrels, snakes, and rats.<\/p>\n

Downy woodpeckers nest in tree cavities. The female lays from three to eight eggs, both parents take nest duty, and both supply food to the nestlings when they hatch and until they leave the nest some eighteen to twenty-one days later.<\/p>\n

Built-in Protective Gear<\/h2>\n

The nest is often excavated from the underside of an angled dead branch or snag and takes a lot of drilling. How can they hammer away without getting concussed? They have thickened skulls with special spongy, shock-absorbing layers around the brain and the eyes.<\/p>\n

Anatomy-wise, that\u2019s not the only remarkable feature that these birds have evolved to suit their unique lifestyle. They have bristly feathers around their beaks to trap flying sawdust before the birds breathe it in through their nostrils. Amazing!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not all . . . a downy woodpecker\u2019s tongue is long and barb-tipped (not as long as the flicker\u2019s tongue, which is the bird record-holder!) The tongue wraps around inside the skull when not extending to pry out bark insects, then flicks out far beyond the bill tip when feeding.<\/p>\n

This small, familiar bird is a champion in so many ways and it is definitely worth a second and third look!<\/p>\n

\"Woodpecker<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sounds may first alert birders to the presence of a downy woodpecker. A sharp \u201cpik, pik,\u201d or a shrill, descending whinny call catches your attention. A slow and intermittent \u201ctap-tap-tap\u201d hints the bird is feeding. A fast (up to 20 hits a second), insistent drumming may echo from a nearby tree, power pole, or even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[62],"class_list":["post-2032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wildlife","tag-fall-2021"],"yoast_head":"\nOur Smallest Woodpecker - Images<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/our-smallest-woodpecker\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our Smallest Woodpecker - Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sounds may first alert birders to the presence of a downy woodpecker. 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With luck you might find both species in the same Boulder County Park. Identifying which bird you are viewing is a tricky challenge. Both birds sport dazzling black and white feathers. The feathers are patterned in spots, stripes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Detectives"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Detectives","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-detectives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Woodpeckers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/nd-woodpeckers.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/nd-woodpeckers.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/nd-woodpeckers.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/nd-woodpeckers.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/nd-woodpeckers.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":563,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/property\/ricky-weiser-wetland\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":1},"title":"Behind a Name: Ricky Weiser Wetland","author":"Staff","date":"11\/20\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I never had anything to do with lakes, I do not know why they picked me\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I am honored and sort of bemused.\" That was Martha \"Ricky\" Weiser's reaction upon learning that Boulder County had decided to rename Pelican Marsh, the westernmost pond at Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, after her.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property Highlights"","block_context":{"text":"Property Highlights","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/property\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ricky Wieser Wetland","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Ricky-Wieser-View-of-the-Wetland-from-the-shrubs.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Ricky-Wieser-View-of-the-Wetland-from-the-shrubs.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Ricky-Wieser-View-of-the-Wetland-from-the-shrubs.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Ricky-Wieser-View-of-the-Wetland-from-the-shrubs.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Ricky-Wieser-View-of-the-Wetland-from-the-shrubs.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Ricky-Wieser-View-of-the-Wetland-from-the-shrubs.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":439,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/cavity-nesters\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":2},"title":"Cavity Nesters in Boulder County","author":"Staff","date":"05\/30\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Writing about cavity nesters in Boulder County seemed simple enough until I sat down to tackle the job. Unexpected complications emerged almost immediately. What is a cavity? What is a nest? Why nest in a cavity in the first place? Is a cavity a hole in the ground, a bird\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wildlife"","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snapping Turtle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/turtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/turtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/turtle.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/turtle.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/turtle.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1108,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/research\/extending-duration-annual-biennial-perennial-weed-control\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":3},"title":"Research Report: Weed Control","author":"Staff","date":"03\/03\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department offers grants for research on county open space lands each year. All proposals are reviewed by a team of resource specialists, and awarded research projects are monitored during their activities on open space. The following is a summary of a 2016 study\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Weed Control","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/weed-control.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/weed-control.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/weed-control.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/weed-control.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":368,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/american-avocet\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":4},"title":"American Avocet, aka “Blue Shanks”","author":"Staff","date":"02\/28\/2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Looking through binoculars or a spotting scope at one of the ponds on open space you might see a distinctive bird strolling on slender bluish-gray legs. Its nickname is \"blue shanks,\" but the more commonly used name for this bird is American avocet. It's easy to spot these birds, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wildlife"","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Avocet standing in a pond","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/avocet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/avocet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/avocet.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":251,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wildlife\/whats-in-a-name\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":5},"title":"What’s in a Name","author":"Staff","date":"11\/21\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever been curious where the common or Latin names of animals come from, when those names feature people's last names, like the Abert's squirrel and the Wilson warbler? Read on, and you will discover the mystery behind each name! John James Abert-Abert's Squirrel Born in West Virginia in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wildlife"","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bullock's Oriole","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/oriole.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/oriole.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/oriole.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/oriole.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2035,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions\/2035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}