Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766)

Picidae — Woodpeckers

Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, is a woodpecker found across North America, with a breeding range that covers most of the continent. It is the smallest woodpecker in North America. It lives in wooded places, especially deciduous forest, and is absent from the deserts of the south-west and the northern tundra. It nests in cavities in trees, usually in dead wood or limbs, and the pair makes the nest site itself. It is very similar to the Hairy Woodpecker, but its bill is shorter and its white tail feathers are marked with black spots.

Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae — Woodpeckers
Breeding range
North America: widespread
Downy Woodpecker
© Paul Danese · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

9 tours in Canada

Saskatoon Winter Birdwatching Tour 2026
Saskatoon Winter Birdwatching Tour 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A two-hour winter birdwatching tour through Saskatoon parks, combining gentle walking with driving between current songbird and waterbird si...

From CAD 65
Cheerful Chickadee Feeding and Photography Tours 2026
Cheerful Chickadee Feeding and Photography Tours 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A winter chickadee experience near Saskatoon, offered as a two-hour public outing or a three-hour private tour with birdwatching and photogr...

From CAD 45
President Murray Park Bird Walk – 1 hour birding in Saskatoon’s best coniferous forest park
President Murray Park Bird Walk – 1 hour birding in Saskatoon’s best coniferous forest park
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 1h

A private one-hour bird walk through President Murray Park’s mature spruce plantation in central Saskatoon, suitable for beginners and low...

From CAD 95
Saskatoon Evening Bird Walk – 4 great outings to our best birding hotspots
Saskatoon Evening Bird Walk – 4 great outings to our best birding hotspots
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 14 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 65
Donna Birkmaier Park Birding and Walking Tour – 2 fantastic hours birding in Saskatoon’s best natural park
Donna Birkmaier Park Birding and Walking Tour – 2 fantastic hours birding in Saskatoon’s best natural park
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A two-hour guided walk through Donna Birkmaier Park’s grassland, wetland and woodland habitat on level, wheelchair-accessible trails in Sa...

From CAD 150
Pike Lake Birding Tour – 2 great options
Pike Lake Birding Tour – 2 great options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A private self-drive birding tour from Saskatoon to Pike Lake, with a three-hour core option and a longer six-hour programme for broader hab...

From CAD 240
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive birding route from Gardiner Dam to the Anerley Lakes valley, combining lake, river, woodland, marsh and prairie habita...

From CAD 390
Weir Birding and Walking Tour in Saskatoon’s river valley 2026
Weir Birding and Walking Tour in Saskatoon’s river valley 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A private two-hour walk beside Saskatoon’s weir, using a spotting scope for river birds before exploring the wooded riverbank for songbird...

From CAD 130
Forestry Farm Park Bird Walk – birding in Saskatoon’s best wooded park
Forestry Farm Park Bird Walk – birding in Saskatoon’s best wooded park
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A guided two-hour bird walk in Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park, exploring mature trees and nearby water for songbirds, waterfowl and season...

From CAD 95