downy woodpecker
Small tree tapper
A downy woodpecker is a small North American woodpecker with black and white plumage, the male distinguished by a red patch on the back of its head.
It's the smallest woodpecker species on the continent, common in deciduous forests, orchards, and suburban yards, where it drums on trees to find insects and excavate nest cavities.
Percussive rhythm-making
- barkSharp canine vocalization
- insectsSix-legged arthropods
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- excavateRemove earth systematically
probe · glean · suet · berries · sap · bore · tap · tree trunk
Percussive rhythm-making
- tappingRepeated light striking
- callContact by phone
- whinnySoft equine call
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
resonance · communication · territory · courtship · signal · rapid · staccato · vibration
Sheds foliage seasonally
- orchardFruit tree plantation
- backyardOutdoor space behind home
- suburbanOf residential outskirts
- parkPublic leisure grounds
forest edge · thicket · willow · cottonwood · dead tree · snag · cavity · territory
Without color gradations
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- markingsIdentifying visual features
- spottedSeen or patterned
- barredBlocked from entry
small · compact · field guide · birdwatching · ornithology · species · male · female
Source of input
- suetHard animal fat
- birdwatchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- attractDraw toward oneself
- sunflower seedsEdible kernels from tall blooms
peanut butter · nesting box · garden · suburban · visitor · common · friendly · tame
drumming
Percussive rhythm-making
excavate · probe · glean · suet · berries · sap · bore · tap · tree trunk · branches
drumming
Percussive rhythm-making
rhythm · resonance · communication · territory · courtship · signal · rapid · staccato · vibration · acoustic
deciduous
Sheds foliage seasonally
park · forest edge · thicket · willow · cottonwood · dead tree · snag · cavity · territory · range
black-and-white
Without color gradations
barred · small · compact · field guide · birdwatching · ornithology · species · male · female · juvenile
feeder
Source of input
- suetHard animal fat
- birdwatchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- attractDraw toward oneself
sunflower seeds · peanut butter · nesting box · garden · suburban · visitor · common · friendly · tame · approachable
cavity
Empty space within
clutch · eggs · incubation · fledgling · brood · mate · pair bond · chicks · hatchling · nestling
beak
Horny avian mouthpart
barbed · tail feathers · stiff · clinging · feathers · plumage · keratin · contour · barbs · quills