I love getting photos of big, spectacular birds like the Bald Eagles that I have featured recently, but I also enjoy photographing smaller birds that others often ignore, like these industrious little Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) that I have spotted in December at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers in our area and are the ones that I am most likely to see. I have always admired their work ethic—they appear to have endless energy and are constantly in motion as the poke, probe, and hammer with their bills in search of little insects.
Normally I see Downy Woodpeckers in an upright position, but the one in the first photo was perched horizontally as he investigated a fallen branch. I can tell it is a male because I can see a little bit of the red patch on the back of his head that females do not have.
I am fascinated by the pose of the Downy Woodpecker in the second photo. The woodpecker is perched on a small branch with poison ivy berries, which many bird species eat during the winter, but seems to be attracted to the tree in the distance. Does the woodpecker think that the pickings may be better on the tree (or maybe I should say “peckings” rather than “pickings”)?
As I was preparing this post, I was shocked to discover that the Latin name for this species had changed. From the very start, my photography mentor Cindy Dyer encouraged me to include both the common names and the Latin names for my subjects and I have tried to follow that practice. I am used to using the Latin name Picoides pubescens and learned that it is now referred to as Dryobates pubescens.
What happened? I do not know all of the details, but, according to Wikipedia, as a result of a 2015 molecular phylogenetic study, the Downy Woodpecker was moved out of the genus Picodes and placed with four other species in the resurrected genus Dryobates. It is intriguing to see that scientists are constantly learning new things about the birds and other creatures that I have the privilege of photographing. Wow!
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I especially like the alertness shown in the second photo — and I’m glad that poison ivy serves an excellent purpose for some creatures!
So often the heads of these woodpeckers are buried in the the wood or are in motion, which makes it hard to get a clear shot of them. I too noticed the alertness of the woodpecker and thought it made for a cool shot. I have been amazed over the years to learn how many different species eat the poison ivy berries at a time of the year when it is tough for them to find foot. The only down side it that they help to spread the poison ivy as they disseminated undigested seeds.
A downside for us, but not for them!
I love these little guys. Great photo, Mike.
Thanks, Dan. They are great bundles of energy and are always fun to watch. 🙂
Nice Mike! Downy Woodpeckers are always fun to watch & photograph!
Great to see these lovely photos of the Downy woodpeckers, Mike. You captured that perky spirit that is so endearing to this species. Interesting about the name change. Names are often changing in birds, keeps us on our toes.
Thanks, Jet. It is a real joy for me when I am able to capture the personality and spirit of a bird or other wild creature. As for name changes–it seems that science is always evolving and our knowledge increasing. Sometimes, though, it is mystifying when trying to figure out why some species can have multiple variants or subspecies that are pretty distinct, but at other times very similar looking birds are said to be different species. It definitely keeps us on our toes, though I must say that capturing a good image is a higher priority for me than coming up with a totally accurate identification.