The smallest woodpecker in Maine, the Downy Woodpecker is a common species that can be found around any deciduous woods. This species looks very similar to its large cousin, the Hairy Woodpecker, though the alliterative mnemonic that “downy is diminutive” may help you remember which is smaller. Downies are active around feeders throughout the winter, and you may start hearing them even more as they begin to sing despite the cold and snow. Remember that a song is defined as a noise that a bird makes to defend its territory or attract a mate. For woodpeckers, their song is mechanical rather than vocal, and is the rapid drumming you can hear especially in the early morning. Differing from the slow pecking woodpeckers will do searching for food, drumming is a rapid burst, lasting only a couple of seconds, and usually done against a substrate to maximize noise output, like a hollow dead branch. Keep your ears peeled for woodpecker songs as the days get longer.
Backyard Bird of the Month is a feature by Maine Audubon created for the Maine Home Garden News, the newsletter of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard.
