![Downies are the smallest woodpeckers in North America. At six inches, they are just a bit bigger than chickadees. This photo shows a female downy woodpecker)
Photo by DON BARTLING](https://hagadone.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/ARTICLE_190229980_AR_0_YRWMSOAYWEMJ_t1170.jpg?5cc718665ab672dba93d511ab4c682bb370e5f86)
Downies are the smallest woodpeckers in North America. At six inches, they are just a bit bigger than chickadees. This photo shows a female downy woodpecker)
Photo by DON BARTLING
February 21, 2019
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![Downy woodpecker: The daintiest of the woodpeckers!](
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February 21, 2019 midnight
Downy woodpecker: The daintiest of the woodpeckers!
The smallest of the woodpeckers, downies are a familiar friend in backyards throughout North Idaho. They seem delicate even as they chisel out cavities in tree trunks, one chunk at a time. Downy woodpeckers eat a variety of foods including seeds, fruits and insects, and they visit suet feeders throughout the year.