This little plush Downy Woodpecker shown below is one of the Wild Republic Audubon Birds. They make the sound of a woodpecker when squeezed.

The Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens, is a small, 6-inch black and white woodpecker. Males have a small red patch on the nape. The Hairy Woodpecker is similar, but it is larger (about 9 inches) with a larger bill. The vertical white stripe down the back is a field mark worth noting.

The voice is a quiet pick; also a rapid descending series of notes ( a coarse whinny of sorts). The Downy lives in forests, parks, river groves and gardens. The nest is a gourd-shaped hole 6-10 inches deep in a dead tree limb 5-50 ft. up where the bird lays 4 or 5 white eggs (.8 x.6 in.) It is a resident from Alaska across Canada, south throughout the United States except Southwest.

This is one little bird that I see frequently in my yard. It is a busy little bird that runs up and down the branches pecking the wood in search of its food. It is common in the West, especially in winter. The male is larger than the female and chisels deep into wood with its longer, stronger bill, and I see the holes to prove it. The female pries under the bark with her shorter bill. With both little birds eating the insects found in the trees, I'm sure it helps rid the trees of the pesky little bugs. Downys eat ants and boring insects, spiders, snails and some fruits and seeds.

Order: Piciformes | Family: Picidae | Genus: Picoides | Species: P. pubescens

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The Downy Woodpecker plush bird shown above is made by Wild Republic.
Check out Jeannie's Cottage LLC for this Audubon Bird with sound.