Woodpeckers

Downy Woodpecker

Dunenspecht

Dryobates pubescens

Woodpeckers6 photosFirst seen: 12 July 2026

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. It has black-and-white plumage, a short bill and white outer tail feathers marked with black spots. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. The species searches trunks, branches and thin plant stems for insects and also visits feeders. It closely resembles the larger Hairy Woodpecker but has a much shorter bill.

ID tip: Against Hairy Woodpecker, check the bill, which is only about a third the length of the head, and look for black spots or bars on the white outer tail feathers.

First seen: 12 July 2026 · Grays Harbor Wildlife Refuge · 6 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Grays Harbor Wildlife Refuge12 July 2026 San Juan Islands12 August 2026

Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Length: 14–18 cm
Wingspan: 25–31 cm
Regional status: Year-round resident (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Deciduous and riparian woodland, parks, gardens, feeders
Diet: Insect larvae and beetles; also seeds, suet and sap

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Downy Woodpecker

Places in my records

Selected photographs