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• Conservation Status
• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Habitat
• Diet
• Reproduction
• Migration
• Song/Voice
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes
• Keep Exploring

Overview:

Conservation Status

History:

• 1988-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
• 1994-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
• 2000-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000)

Justification

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 13,000,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 13,000,000 individuals (Rich et al. 2003). Global population trends have not been quantified, but there is evidence of a population increase (del Hoyo et al. 2002), and so the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Taxonomy

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: June 24, 1996.

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 27-Dec-2005

Physical Description

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

North America

Habitat

Common permanent resident in wood margins and forested areas.

Diet

Primarily:

Insects Lesser Quantities of: Fruit Seeds

Reproduction

Nests from late April to mid-June.

• Breeding Habitat: Woodland
• Nest Type: Cavity
• Clutch Size: 3-6
• Length of Incubation: 12 days
• Days to Fledge: 20-25
• Number of Broods: 1 in north, 2? in south

Migration

Nonmigratory

Song/Voice

Picoides pubescens
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: June 01, 1996 Location of Recording: Long Island

in flight
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: June 01, 1996 Location of Recording: Long Island

Downy Woodpecker drumming
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: May 01, 1997 Location of Recording: Long Island

Downy Woodpecker feeding nestlings
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: June 01, 1998 Location of Recording: Bear Mountain

drumming
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: April 01, 2001 Location of Recording: Long Island

Two downies courting. The scratching sounds are their claws on the bark as they danced up the tree.
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: May 01, 2002 Location of Recording: Long Island

Similar Species

Differs from the Hairy Woodpecker in smaller size and shorter bill.

Members of the genus Picoides:

There are approximately 183 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: P. albolarvatur · P. albolarvatus (White Headed Woodpecker) · P. albolarvatus albolarvatus · P. albolarvatus gravirostris (White-Headed Woodpecker) · P. albolarvatus ssp · P. arcticus (Black-Backed Woodpecker) · P. arizonae (Arizona Woodpecker) · P. arizonae arizonae · P. arizonae fraterculus · P. arizonae fraterculus] · P. atratus · P. auriceps · P. borealis (Red-Cockaded Woodpecker) · P. borealis borealis · P. borealis hylonomus (Red-Cockaded Woodpecker) · P. canicapillus · P. canicapillus doerriesi · P. canicapillus kaleensis · P. canicapillus nagamichii · P. canicapillus scintilliceps · P. canicapillus semicoronatus · P. canicapillus swinhoei · P. cathpharius · P. cathpharius cathpharius · P. crissoleucos · P. darjellensis darjellensis · P. dorsalis (American Three-Toed Woodpecker) · P. dorsalis bacatus · P. dorsalis dorsalis · P. dorsalis fasciatus · P. himalayensis · P. himalayensis himalayensis · P. hyperythrus hyperythrus · P. hyperythrus marshalli · P. kizuki · P. kizuki kizuki · P. kizuki seebohmi · P. leucotos · P. leucotos lilfordi · P. leucotos namiyei · P. leucotos sinicus · P. leucotos subcirris · P. leucotos subcirrus · P. leucotos ussuriensis · P. lignarius (Striped Woodpecker) · P. macei · P. macei analis · P. macei andamanensis · P. macei macei · P. maculatus · P. maculatus fulvifasciatus · P. maculatus maculatus · P. maculatus validirostris · P. mahrattensis · P. major · P. major brevirostris · P. major canariensis · P. major hondoensis · P. major italiae · P. major japonica · P. major major · P. major mandarinus · P. major mauritanus · P. major numidus · P. major pinetorum · P. medius · P. medius lilianae · P. minor · P. minor amurensis · P. minor comminutus · P. minor hortorum · P. minor minor · P. mixtus (Checkered Woodpecker) · P. mixtus berlepschi · P. mixtus cancellatus · P. mixtus malleator · P. mixtus mixtus · P. mixtus ssp · P. moluccensis · P. moluccensis gymnopthalmus · P. moluccensis moluccensis · P. moluccensis nanus · P. nutallii · P. nuttalli · P. nuttallii (Nuttall's Woodpecker) · P. nuttallii hesperophilus · P. obsoletus heuglini · P. obsoletus ingens · P. obsoletus obsoletus · P. pubescens (Downy Woodpecker) · P. pubescens fumidus · P. pubescens gairdneri · P. pubescens gairdnerii · P. pubescens glacialis · P. pubescens homorus · P. pubescens leucurus · P. pubescens medianus · P. pubescens microleucus · P. pubescens nataliae · P. pubescens nelsoni

Bibliography

• Alsop, Fred J. III. Birds of North America - Eastern Region. First American Edition. Smithsonian Handbooks. DK Publishing, Inc. 2001.
• Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
• BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K.
• Ehrlich, P., Dobkin, D., and Wheye, D. (1988). The Birders Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc. (info on clutch size, length of incubation, days to fledge and number of broods.)
• Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. (Length and wingspan info.)

More Info

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Notes

Contributors:

• BirdLife International 2004. Picoides pubescens. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 21 October 2006.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 3, 2006.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed June 02, 2006. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
• Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
• Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System Serial Number: 178234
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 239718
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABNYF07030
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 13043