Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusDryobates (Dryobates Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesDryobates pubescens (Downy Woodpecker)
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. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Downy Woodpecker sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 517 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus borealis
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Downy Woodpecker in Big Cypress National Preserve?
About 24% of wildlife watchers report a Downy Woodpecker sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 517 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Downy Woodpecker in Big Cypress National Preserve?
July has the highest sighting rate for Downy Woodpecker in Big Cypress National Preserve in our monthly data.