Downy Woodpecker Population Analysis
Downy Woodpecker has held roughly steady: up 4% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Downy Woodpecker
The smallest North American woodpecker, the Downy is a familiar black-and-white visitor to woodlots, parks and feeders across the continent.
- Size
- 5.5–7 in long, about 1 oz (14–18 cm, 27 g)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and larvae from bark and stems, plus seeds and suet.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,319 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Picidae · Forest birds
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Downy Woodpecker TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Downy Woodpecker. See the full index history below.
Downy Woodpecker Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Downy Woodpecker is projected to stay roughly flat through 2030, near 1.8 (95% range 1.4–2.2). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Downy Woodpecker Is Detected
BBS routes recording Downy Woodpecker, sized by most recent count.
Downy Woodpecker Population Trend by State
Downy Woodpecker Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Downy Woodpecker Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 4% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.