General Description: Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) are small black and white woodpeckers of the mountains. The wings are black with white spots, the back and belly are white, and the face is black-and-white striped. Males have a red patch on the back of the head. Downy Woodpeckers look similar to Hairy Woodpeckers, however, in contrast to Hairy Woodpeckers, the bill is relatively short (not as long as the head is wide) when seen in profile, and there are tiny black spots on the white outer tail feathers, which Hairy Woodpeckers do not have.

Taxonomy: Piciformes, Picidae, Picinae.

Favored Habitat: Mountain habitats with pine and fir trees.

Where to Find: Don't look for Downy Woodpeckers around Las Vegas; rather look for them in forested areas such as in Zion National Park, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and other places beyond the desert.

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