8/31/2023 0 Comments Downy woodpecker male![]() ![]() The adult male fed both of the other birds, and there wasn’t much squabbling, so I had to take a more careful look to be sure of what was going on. Then three Downies appeared together, an adult male in the company of two birds that were lacking the signature red patch on the back of the head that distinguishes the adult male Downy from the female and juvenile Downies. ![]() Initially I saw the adult male with just one other bird who was flying pretty confidently, so at first I thought I might be watching a mate feeding ritual between an adult male and female. Once the food is properly prepared, he feeds his offspring, occasionally having a bite himself. ![]() Sort of like using a mortar and pestle to make a paste. The male flies to the feeder for a seed, then to the trunk of a Flowering Dogwood tree where he uses the hollowed out space of a knothole to mash the seed, repeatedly pecking at it with his beak to prepare it for consumption. Since then, Mom has made herself scarce, and Dad seems to have the assignment of teaching the kids how to eat convenience food from our feeder. My first glimpse was of an adult female feeding an insect to one of her offspring. For the past week or so I’ve been watching a family of Downy Woodpeckers in my back yard. ![]()
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