The downy woodpecker is 5.5-6.7 inches (14-17 cm) in length with a wingspan of 9.8-11.8 inches (24.9-30 cm).
It has a small black bill. It has a white chest and back, black wings with white spots, a black tail, a black head with a white “mustache” and white “eyebrows.”
The male has a red patch on the back of his head.
The downy woodpecker lives in woodlands, parks, and yards.
Downy woodpeckers that live in the southern part of their range mate in late winter. They mate in the early spring if they live in the northern part of their range. Both the male and the female make the nest by pecking a hole in a dead tree, fence post, or sometimes, a telephone pole. The nest can take up to two weeks to dig out.
The female lays 4-5 white eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 12 days. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. The chicks first leave the nest when they are about three weeks old.
The downy woodpecker has a lifespan of 2-5 years in the wild. The oldest downy woodpecker on record lived to be 11 years and 11 months old.
Downy woodpeckers often mix with other flocks of birds and are often found at bird feeders.
Downy woodpeckers are the most common and smallest American woodpecker.
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The downy woodpecker is a year-round resident in New Hampshire and is found across the state, although it is less common at high elevations.
The downy woodpecker is found throughout most of the United States and Canada except for Hawaii, the Southwest, and northern Alaska and Canada.
