Birds in abundance - Downy Woodpecker and others today.

December 23, 2006 on 6:52 pm | In Bird Alert |

Greetings,
As most local birders know, the Audubon Society’s Christmas bird count is just around the corner. Folks will be covering numerous regions in our area, trying to form an idea of how the bird populations are doing this year. My husband and I do our own mini-bird counts every few weeks, just to keep tabs on who is in the neighborhood. Today was a fine day out, in the neighborhood and on our drive to the market. Here is today’s list:

Cedar Waxwings
American Robins
Spotted Towhee
Varied Thrush
Mallards
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-shafted Flicker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Dark-eyed Juncos
White-crowned Sparrows
Bushtit
American Goldfinch
Housefinch
Red-breasted Sapsucker
California Towhee
Great Egret
Hooded Merganser
Downy Woodpecker

That brings today’s total up to 20 wild birds and, we are thrilled to share that the last two birds on this list - the Hooded Merganser and the Downy Woodpecker, go on the lifelist for us.

Notes on the Downy Woodpecker
When you are looking in your birding field guide, no doubt you will feel a bit exasperated by the fact that Downy and Hairy woodpeckers have practically identical markings. So, how do you tell them apart? Size is the simple answer. The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker you will ever see in Sonoma County - only 6 3/4″ from head to tail. He really is strikingly small. Think about the size of Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows or House Sparrows and you’re in the right range. By contrast, the Hairy Woodpecker is 9 1/4″ - a little larger than the sturdy California Towhee.

The Downy Woodpecker we observed today was a female - quite similar to the male, but lacking the red head patch. She was in a walnut orchard, and for so little a bird, her tree tapping was audible. It reminded me of someone hitting a pencil on a table, and it was louder than the soft knocks of the larger Red-breasted Sapsucker.

Downy and Hairy woodpeckers are distinguished by the large white patch on their backs. Look at the back of the bird. If it is heavily striped from wing tip to shoulder - chances are you are seeing Nutall’s Woodpecker. If a big white patch is there, it is likely one of these other two woodpeckers. So, at that point, you are left with judging size and this may seem impossible unless you manage to climb up a tree with a ruler! However, I would say, if the bird strikes you as a very little fellow, it’s probably a Downy. One further field mark is that the Downy’s beak is short and the Hairy’s is longer, but this may be difficult to observe out in the field.

Downy Woodpeckers make rattles and a gentle pik sound. They are year-round Sonoma County wild birds. It’s important to note here that the birds of our Pacific region show a grey-brown wash below, as opposed to the whiter birds of the East. The birds nest in holes in dead trees and lay 4-7 white eggs.

How is your own bird count coming?
If you are following the Birding Sonoma County blog and would like to share your sightings with us, we’d be more than happy to receive your comments here. Photos or drawings are welcome, too. To us, the fact that a simple walk around a Sonoma County neighborhood can not only bring in a total of 20 bird identifications, but also adds two names to our lifelist is a cause for celebration. We hope to be following up soon with a post devoted to today’s other lifer - the Hooded Merganser!