They
glean ants and beetles from the bark of tees. They also eat
fruits, seeds, nuts and cambium. The Downey woodpecker also
forages in shrubs.
Migratory
status of the Downy Woodpecker
The Downy woodpecker does not migrate, but it
may move upslope in the Sierras during the summer.
Niche
filled by the downy woodpecker
The Downy woodpecker will forage lower to the
ground than most woodpeckers. It can be found in shrubs. Males
and females do not compete directly for food by using different
foraging behaviors. Females generally pry off bark and glean for
insects whereas the males will drill deeper into the wood for
insects.
Range
of the Downy woodpecker
The Downy woodpecker is found throughout the
continental United States and Canada. It is absent from the
desert areas in the Southwestern United states.
Habitat/Plant
communities used by the Downy woodpecker
The
Downy woodpecker is found in most of the plant communities in
California excepting the desert and semidesert areas east of the
Sierra Nevada range and south of the peninsular range. The Downy
woodpecker's favorite habitat is deciduous riparian woodlands.
Try
to dissuade European starlings from interring your garden. They
will kick out other bird species from the nest cavities built by
woodpeckers. They are quite aggressive. They have been known to
wait around until the woodpecker has completed excavation of its
nest cavity and then a group of them will gang up on the
woodpecker and kick it out of its own nest. One woman said she
plunged the cavities early in the breading season when the
starlings were looking for nests and then unplugged them after
the starlings had moved on. I would not advise this as it evolves
climbing in trees and getting squawked at a lot by irritated
wildlife.
How
to attract the Downy woodpecker to your garden
Downy woodpeckers like young riparian trees
for nesting so attracting them to your garden is too big a chore.
Just plant a few cottonwood trees or other riparian species and
you can have a suitable woodpecker house in only about five
years. They will also use these trees for foraging. The downy
woodpecker will even tolerate suburban conditions. They do not
mind living in towns.
Diet
of the Downy woodpecker
Migratory
status of the Downy Woodpecker
How
to attract the Downy woodpecker to your garden
