I photographed the Downy Woodpecker in the photo above in the white oak in my back yard on New Year’s Day. From that picture, someone unfamiliar with Downy Woodpeckers might think they’re mostly black. The photo below shows the same bird less than a minute later, facing into the sun. It was a good reminder of how colors can be misleading when identifying birds.

You can identify Downy Woodpeckers by shape. No other Pennsylvania woodpecker is so small, with such a short, stubby bill. When you get a good look at their color, watch for a white back between two black wings. The only woodpeckers with that pattern are the Downy and the much larger Hairy Woodpecker. This woodpecker is a female – a male would have a red spot on the back of its head.

Downy Woodpeckers are North America’s smallest and most common woodpecker, with an estimated population of 13 million. They’re also the most common woodpecker in the Susquehanna Valley. Downies are almost entirely non-migratory, so the Downy Woodpeckers in your yard now are likely the same ones that nested nearby last summer. Attract them with their favorite foods: Bark Butter, suet, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.