Listen to the Downy woodpecker
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Downy woodpecker
The Downy woodpecker is a bird in the family Picidae (order Piciformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 31 cm and weigh around 28 g.
What does the Downy woodpecker sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as drumming and call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America. Length ranges from 14 to 18 cm (5.5 to 7.1 in). Downy woodpeckers primarily live in forested areas throughout the United States and Canada, with the exception of deserts in the southwest and the northern tundra. The bird nests in tree cavities and feeds primarily on insects, although it supplements its diet with seeds and berries. The downy woodpecker is very similar in appearance to the hairy woodpecker, although they are not closely related.
Related birds in the genus Dryobates
More from the family Picidae
Great spotted woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
Black woodpecker
Dryocopus martius
Eurasian wryneck
Jynx torquilla
European green woodpecker
Picus viridis
Grey-headed woodpecker
Picus canus
Eurasian three-toed woodpecker
Picoides tridactylus
Northern flicker
Colaptes auratus
Pileated woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Black-rumped flameback
Dinopium benghalense
Red-headed woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Acorn woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Frequently asked questions
What does a Downy woodpecker sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Downy woodpecker on this page, including its drumming and call. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the Downy woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Downy woodpecker as “least concern”.
What family does the Downy woodpecker belong to?
The Downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) belongs to the family Picidae in the order Piciformes.
Sources & credits
- Drumming · Grey Cloud Dunes SNA, Washington, Minnesota, United States by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q27074911 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Downy woodpecker – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Wolfgang Wander – CC BY-SA 3.0