Individual woodpeckers are thought to be able to distinguish the drumming of their mates and even that of their neighbors. You may also find these birds in open areas, where they can nest along fencerows and feed surrounded by tall weeds. They can also be found in human-made habitats including orchards, parks, and suburbs. The drumming also serves for mutual recognition between the birds and plays a part in courtship rituals. Downy woodpeckers primarily live in forested areas throughout the United States and Canada, with the exception of deserts in the southwest and the northern. Downy woodpeckers can be found in open woodlands, deciduous woods, and along streams in particular. The Downy Woodpecker can forage for food where heavier woodpeckers can’t, even working its way up and down weed stems. The drumming is mainly a territorial call and males drum more frequently than females. The bird nests in tree cavities and feeds primarily on insects, although it supplements its diet with seeds and berries.

Drumming is a form of non-vocal communication used by most species of woodpecker and involves the bill being repeatedly struck on a hard surface with great rapidity. 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.It takes about 1 to 3 weeks for Downy woodpeckers to excavate a nest cavity before laying eggs. The Downy Woodpecker prefers to live in forests, willows, woodlots, river groves, shade trees, and orchards.While on trees Downy woodpeckers move horizontally and downwards, however, they may occasionally feed on the ground where they move by hopping.Downy woodpeckers have special feathers around their nostrils these feathers keep the birds from breathing in wood chips.

Downy woodpecker habitat