{"id":132335,"date":"2024-08-13T02:45:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T07:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=132335"},"modified":"2024-08-13T03:45:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T08:45:46","slug":"young-downy-woodpecker-defensive-behavior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/08\/13\/young-downy-woodpecker-defensive-behavior\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Downy Woodpecker Defensive Behavior"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine you are a young Downy Woodpecker, just a couple of months old. You fly to a suet feeder to get food to eat and suddenly get hit by another woodpecker.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Downy Woodpecker in defensive mode \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1\/800, ISO 1250, -0.7 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday, I sat and watched as this scene unfolded. The young Downy Woodpecker had just arrived at the suet feeder when an adult male Downy suddenly slammed into it. We could hear the impact!<\/p>\n

Then the young woodpecker flew to this vine, and I swear it seemed nervous about being struck again. It quickly adopted a defensive posture.<\/p>\n

I know I was half expecting the adult Downy to fly back and attack this young male just because he was close to the suet feeder.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Downy Woodpecker in defensive pose \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1\/800, ISO 1250, -0.7 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t know if the adult male Downy Woodpecker was the father of this young one or if the adult was unrelated to him. At this time of year, I wouldn\u2019t be able to tell or even guess.<\/p>\n

What do I know?<\/p>\n

I know that this young woodpecker didn’t want to tangle with the adult male, whether they were related or not. I also know that after a day and a half of steady rain, this immature Downy Woodpecker was probably hungry.<\/p>\n

The adult woodpecker was likely just giving the younger bird a warning to stay out of his way or territory. I don’t think there would have been a battle.<\/p>\n

This young bird flew from the vine, pecked at the bluebird nest box, then took off and didn\u2019t even return to the suet feeder.<\/p>\n

Maybe he came back later in the afternoon after I left the deck to go inside. I\u2019ll be watching out for him.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Downy Woodpecker photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine you are a young Downy Woodpecker, just a couple of months old. You fly to a suet feeder to get food to eat and suddenly get hit by another woodpecker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":132326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13950,27,2142,13951],"tags":[4226,822,193,2143,13981,13931,4067,10471,4104,6861,2315,8018,11722,4777,2146,13966,4193],"class_list":["post-132335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-avian","category-downy-woodpeckers","category-sebastian-county","tag-behavior","tag-defensive","tag-downy-woodpecker","tag-dryobates-pubescens","tag-feeder","tag-garden","tag-immature","tag-mode","tag-perched","tag-pose","tag-summer-3","tag-urban","tag-vine","tag-woodpecker","tag-woodpeckers","tag-yard","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/downy-woodpecker-immature-mia-mcpherson-0239.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-yqr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":143002,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/04\/20\/scruffy-male-downy-woodpecker\/","url_meta":{"origin":132335,"position":0},"title":"Scruffy Male Downy Woodpecker","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Not long after a downpour of rain yesterday, this wet and scruffy male Downy Woodpecker flew in and landed on a vine near the suet feeder. I'm glad he did.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wet and scruffy male Downy Woodpecker, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/downy-woodpecker-spring-mia-mcpherson-7139.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/downy-woodpecker-spring-mia-mcpherson-7139.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/downy-woodpecker-spring-mia-mcpherson-7139.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/downy-woodpecker-spring-mia-mcpherson-7139.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":135551,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/10\/13\/female-downy-woodpecker-beauty-of-sunlight-and-shadows\/","url_meta":{"origin":132335,"position":1},"title":"Female Downy Woodpecker – Beauty of Sunlight and Shadows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"When this female Downy Woodpecker showed up at the suet feeder in such dramatic light and shadows, I knew I wanted to photograph her to showcase her beauty.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Downy Woodpecker female in a natural spotlight, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/downy-woodpecker-female-light-dark-mia-mcpherson-6388.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/downy-woodpecker-female-light-dark-mia-mcpherson-6388.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/downy-woodpecker-female-light-dark-mia-mcpherson-6388.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/downy-woodpecker-female-light-dark-mia-mcpherson-6388.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":133395,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/08\/30\/adult-female-downy-woodpecker\/","url_meta":{"origin":132335,"position":2},"title":"Adult Female Downy Woodpecker","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing a simple photo of a female Downy Woodpecker this morning that I took yesterday. But is the image all that simple for me? It isn't, not really.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult female Downy Woodpecker with a suet covered bill, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/downy-woodpecker-adult-female-suet-mia-mcpherson-5761.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/downy-woodpecker-adult-female-suet-mia-mcpherson-5761.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/downy-woodpecker-adult-female-suet-mia-mcpherson-5761.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/downy-woodpecker-adult-female-suet-mia-mcpherson-5761.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113998,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/06\/26\/downy-woodpecker-photos-from-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":132335,"position":3},"title":"Downy Woodpecker Photos From Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When I photographed this immature Downy Woodpecker yesterday in my friend Steve's yard I didn't think I'd get two photos with its tongue sticking out. But I did!","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Downy Woodpecker with tongue sticking out, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/downy-woodpecker-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-4801.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/downy-woodpecker-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-4801.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/downy-woodpecker-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-4801.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/downy-woodpecker-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-4801.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":149363,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/06\/26\/immature-male-downy-woodpecker\/","url_meta":{"origin":132335,"position":4},"title":"Immature Male Downy Woodpecker","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It was one year ago today that I photographed this immature male Downy Woodpecker. So far this year, I haven't seen any young Downy Woodpeckers.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature male Downy Woodpecker in summer, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115012,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/04\/young-male-downy-woodpecker\/","url_meta":{"origin":132335,"position":5},"title":"Young Male Downy Woodpecker","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I thought this young male Downy Woodpecker, with bits of suet on his bill, was a striking bird, and that's why I decided to share this photo today.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young male Downy Woodpecker in Arkansas, Sebastian County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-5744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-5744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-5744.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/downy-woodpecker-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-5744.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}