Field Notes: Female Downy Woodpecker on the Hunt

Downy Woodpecker are the smallest of all woodpeckers in North America. Both females and males are about the same size measuring a diminutive six inches in height which is about the size of a sparrow. The primary visual difference between females and males is the distinctive red patch on the back of the male’s head. The Downy Woodpecker is not known for long seasonal migration but may relocate short distances based on changes to climate conditions from high mountain altitudes and in far northern regions. Their diet is made up of mostly insects, spiders, caterpillars and larva but also eat plant material such as berries and will from time to time also consume tree sap left in holes made by Yellow Sap Suckers. Downy Woodpeckers make their nest in small tree cavities.

Female Downy Woodpecker

 

Location Details & Camera Settings

Observed searching for food by using its dagger like beak to probe cracks in tree bark on a warm autumn morning in Plymouth Minnesota which is a highly populated suburban area in southeastern Minnesota.

Camera Settings: Sony A7 IV - Focal Length 500 mm - Shutter Speed 1 /500 Sec - Aperture f/6.7 - ISO 4000