Downy Woodpecker
Learn to identify the Downy Woodpecker by ear. Master the "tsee-tsee-tsee!" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Downy Woodpecker sounds like
Young birds give an excited stream of thin, shrill begging notes from the nest. This recording is all voices, with no drumming.
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Downy Woodpecker
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Downy Woodpecker's sounds in these interactive in-app lessons.
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Where you'll hear it
Permanent resident throughout range in North America.
Open woodlands, particularly deciduous woods, parks, suburbs, orchards, and areas with scattered trees.
Active year-round during daylight hours, often joining mixed-species flocks in winter.
How to recognize it by sight
Downy Woodpeckers are small versions of the classic woodpecker body plan. They have a straight, chisel-like bill, blocky head, wide shoulders, and straight-backed posture. The black upperparts are checked with white on the wings, the head is boldly striped, and the back has a broad white stripe down the center. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head.
Similar species
Hairy Woodpecker
Larger size (about 50% bigger) with proportionately longer bill
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Mostly a California species, extending into northwestern Baja California; rare strays reach Oregon.
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Found in southwestern deserts and scrub