![]() Within the genus, the downy woodpecker is sister to a clade containing Nuttall's woodpecker ( Dryobates nuttalli) and the ladder-backed woodpecker ( Dryobates scalaris). In the revised generic classification, the downy woodpecker was placed with four other species in the resurrected genus Dryobates, that had been erected in 1826 by the German naturalist Friedrich Boie with the downy woodpecker as the type species. The downy woodpecker was usually placed in either Dendrocopos or Picoides, but a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2015 found that these genera did not form monophyletic groups. Linnaeus specified the type locality as America septentrionali (North America) but the locality is now restricted to South Carolina. The specific epithet pubescens is the Latin for "pubescent" or "downy". When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he included the downy woodpecker, coined the binomial name Picus pubescens and cited Catesby's book. The downy woodpecker was described and illustrated with a hand-coloured plate by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, which was published between 17. The downy woodpecker is very similar in appearance to the hairy woodpecker, although they are not closely related. The bird nests in tree cavities and feeds primarily on insects, although it supplements its diet with seeds and berries. Downy woodpeckers primarily live in forested areas throughout the United States and Canada, with the exception of deserts in the southwest and the northern tundra. Length ranges from 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in). The downy woodpecker ( Dryobates pubescens) is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. ![]() The chicks first leave the nest when they are about three weeks old.ĭowny woodpeckers often mix with other flocks of birds and are often found at bird feeders.This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. ![]() Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. The eggs are incubated for about twelve days. The nest can take up to two weeks to dig out. Both the male and the female make the nest by pecking a hole in a dead tree, fence post or sometimes, a telephone pole. They mate in the early spring if they live in the northern part of their range. Life Cycle Downy woodpeckers that live in the southern part of their range mate in late winter. It also eats berries and sunflower seeds. The downy woodpecker uses its bill to drill into trees and dig out insects like beetles, wasps, moths and insect larvae. The downy woodpecker lives in woodlands, parks and yards. ![]() Range The downy woodpecker can be found throughout most of the United States and Canada except for Hawaii, the Southwest and northern Alaska and Canada. It has a white chest and back, black wings with white spots, a black tail and a black head with a white "mustache" and white "eyebrows." The male has a red patch on the back of its head. The downy woodpecker is six inches long and has a small black bill. ICUN Redlist - World Status: Least Concern
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |