| Group | Woodpeckers |
| Code | ABNYF07030 |
| Order | Piciformes |
| Family | Picidae |
| Author | (Linnaeus, 1766) |
| Rank | G5 (definitions) |
| Occurrence | P (definitions) |
| Scale | C (definitions) |
| Western UP | all |
| Eastern UP | all |
| Northern LP | all |
| Southern LP | all |
Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes
(Any Upland Deciduous (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
or (Any Upland Mixed (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
or (Any Lowland Deciduous (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
or (Mixed Lowland Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
containing:
(Snags and Dead Down Woody Debris)
view decision rule term definitions
| Habitats | Regen | Sap | Pole | Sm Saw | Lg Saw | Uneven |
| Aspen | no | no | YES | YES | YES | - |
| Paper Birch | no | no | YES | YES | YES | - |
| Oak | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Assorted Hardwoods | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Northern Hardwoods | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Spruce/Fir | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Hemlock | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Jack Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Red Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| White Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Conifer Plantations | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Mixed Upland Hardwoods | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Northern Hardwoods | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Upland Conifer | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Pine | no | no | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Swamp Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Bottomland Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Tamarack | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Northern White Cedar | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Black Spruce | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Lowland Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Lowland Conifer | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Non-Forested | none | |||||
| Special Features | Dead Down Woody Debris, Snags, Edges |
Habitat: Downy Woodpeckers breed in a wide variety of wooded habitats. Their overall habitat usage, based on the Atlas Habitat Survey, is very similar to that of the Hairy Woodpecker. The main difference is a much greater acceptance of edge and open areas; about 20% of the downy records came from such habitats as residential areas and shrub uplands compared with only 8% of the Hairy Woodpecker records.
Downies excavate nest cavities in trees averaging 8 inches dbh and 20 feet tall. Nesting holes on the underside of an exposed limb are characteristic of this small woodpecker.
Habitat: Breeding: Interior and edges of open mixed woodlots and forests (prefers bottomlands), orchards, shade trees in towns, suburbs. Prefers habitat with living and dead medium sized trees 10-22 inches dbh. Shugart et al. found a high correlation between downy distribution and sapling density, indicating that sapling removal may decrease downy habitat. Wintering: Bottomland forest, shrub habitat, upland areas with large trees, forest edges. Birds on high mountains move to lower elevations.
Special Habitat Requirements: Trees greater than 6 inches dbh for nesting.
Habitat: Forests, woodlots, willows, river groves, orchards, shade trees. Found in wide variety of habitats, from wilderness areas to second-growth woods to suburban yards, but generally favors deciduous trees. In far north and in mountains (areas dominated by conifers), restricted to groves of deciduous trees such as aspens or willows.
Diet: Mostly insects. Feeds on a variety of insects, especially beetles and ants, also gall wasps, caterpillars, others. Also seeds and berries. Will eat suet at bird feeders.
Nest: Site is in cavity of dead limb or dead tree, usually 12-30 feet above ground, sometimes 5-60 feet. Cavity entrance is often surrounded by fungus of lichen, helping to camouflage site.