Then, as winter progresses, right about now, the drumming begins. Downy woodpeckers do not drum much between September and December. The drumming I've been hearing occurs with some regularity in the morning, is very clear and distinctive, repeats for awhile and then stops, and is probably from a downy woodpecker. Woodpeckers whack their heads against trees for a number of reasons: to drill into the bark to get at tasty insects, to establish territories, and to attract mates. Their drumming is slow and powerful and resonant. Large and brash, they swoop through the forest uttering primeval jungle-bird calls, somewhat incongruous in the winter. Both male and female bear a flashy red crest. They are crow-sized, with striking black and white markings. Pileated woodpeckers are the iconic woodpecker, Woody the Woodpecker made flesh. Downy woodpeckers have a slower-paced drum, with the raps spaced so they are distinct enough to count. They are so small that they can feed on goldenrod galls, pecking away to get at the insects overwintering inside as the dried-out weeds sway to and fro. The petite downy is closer in size to a nuthatch, titmouse or chickadee (with whom they flock in the winter). The drumming of a hairy woodpecker is fast, almost a buzz. The hairy woodpecker is over 9 inches long - robin-sized. The best way to distinguish them is by their size and their drumming. These and their larger cousin the hairy woodpecker are quite common and difficult to tell apart - both have black and white markings, and the males of both species have a bright red patch on the back of their heads, while the females do not. There are three possible sources of this drumming: the tiny downy, the slightly larger hairy and the giant pileated woodpeckers all remain in the north year-round.ĭowny woodpeckers are our smallest woodpecker. This is a classic sound of winter like the clear, high call of a chickadee, that sharp drumming stands out. Just this past week, I've awoken to the distinct sound of a woodpecker rapping against trees. On crisp winter days, when the snow has glazed over into a hard crust and instead of muffling sound seems to clarify it, bird calls come clear and sharp as they skitter over the icy surfaces and pierce the cold stillness.
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