![]() ![]() What an appropriate name for our smallest woodpecker. We often use the word downy to indicate something that is delicate, soft, and light as a feather. I have observed them searching for the larvae of gall wasps found in the bulbous stems (called a gall) of shrubs and small limbs of trees. These small diameter limbs, stalks, and stems are generally too small for the larger woodpeckers to efficiently find food in so there is little direct competition with other species of woodpeckers. Its small size and minimal weight allows it to feed on small branches, vines, shrubs, and at the tips of larger limbs. Like some other woodpeckers, the Downy feeds on insects which it searches for in trees and shrubs. Leave larger limbs and standing trunks of about 30 feet or more in height to help our other woodpeckers. However, note that these small stubs are too small for our larger woodpeckers to use to excavate a cavity. This small stub does not present a real danger, so limbs could be cut back to this size for safety and to help a Downy. However, even a stub of a limb only about twelve inches in length and the diameter of a tangerine can provide a home for a Downy. Naturally, if the dead limb could easily fall on the house or a vehicle or present other danger, then it should be cut back to a safe length or removed. We can help the Downy by simply allowing a few dead limbs to remain on trees. The holes are used as homes to raise young, to sleep in at night (roost), and to seek shelter from inclement weather and even to escape some predators. Like other woodpeckers, the Downy nests and roosts in cavities that it excavates in small dead limbs of trees. They are the carpenters of the bird world. I think their Spanish name of Carpinteros embodies a fullness and sonority that is lacking in the English name. Woodpeckers are the quintessential group of birds associated with trees. These diminutive woodpeckers are permanent residents of our neighborhoods, local parks, and open woodlands throughout the Upper Coast. At approximately 6 3/4 inches and just under an ounce in weight it is only slightly larger than a Tufted Titmouse. Both sexes also feed and tend the young.Profile by Glenn Olsen: The Downy Woodpecker is North America's smallest woodpecker. Both sexes incubate the eggs, with males generally taking the night shift. The nests are usually lined with nothing but the woodchips created by excavating the nest cavity, which is excavated by both members of the pair. Most woodpecker species are monogamous, and many form long-term pair bonds. Although they may appear to damage trees, woodpeckers are generally good for tree health because they feed so heavily on wood-boring beetles. Many, especially males, have small patches of red or yellow on their heads. The plumage of most is some combination of black and white, though brown is not uncommon. Most woodpeckers have rounded wings and an undulating flight pattern. A few woodpeckers feed on ants, nuts, or flying insects. The principal food of most woodpeckers is insects, especially the larvae of wood-boring beetles. A special arrangement of bones and elastic tissues allows woodpeckers to extend their long tongues and extract insect prey from the holes they chisel with their strong, sharp beaks. The specially adapted skulls of woodpeckers allow them to pound hard on tree trunks to excavate nesting and roosting cavities, to find food, and to communicate and attract mates. ![]() Most use their strong claws and stiff tail feathers to brace themselves against tree trunks as they climb. Further specialization has produced many aberrant forms with different behavior and feeding habits. Woodpeckers have many adaptations that allow them to perch upright against tree trunks and feed on insects under the bark or within the wood of the tree itself. ![]()
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