With its soft, downy feathers and rapid tree tapping, it's simple enough to see how this small woodpecker acquired its common name. If it's striking black and white plumage and entertaining acrobatics, aren't enough reason to entice the downy woodpecker to your yard, there are plenty more.
Widespread across much of the non-southern US, you're most likely to see this captivating creature in areas with forests, woodlots and parks. But, it's also more straightforward than you may assume to attract these woodpeckers to your yard, as they seek and depend on mature, native trees. This is where they forage for insects and invertebrates, also making their presence an excellent natural pest control method.
