Sodusbird Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 At first, I thought it was a very early juvenile. Couldn't find any woodpecker or gnatcatcher that looked close to this. Please excuse the photos, I only had and I touch and I have tremors. I did not retouch the photos other then to crop them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodusbird Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 The underbelly is all gray it is not a shadow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodusbird Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 The underbelly is all gray it is not a shadow. It's got to be a Downy hybrid. The all-charcoal gray underbelly and its' small size was different from the other two black and white Downys at the feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipperatl Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Melanistic or could be soot on it. May have been digging in a burned tree/log. https://www.sibleyguides.com/2017/01/melanistic-downy-woodpecker/ https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/beginners/birding-faq/downy-woodpecker-might-look-gray/ 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 (edited) I have seen Downys with grayish bellies before, though I do think there is shadow making the gray seem darker than it is. You can by the way the head striped change shade from picture to picture. Definitely a downy though! Edited March 23 by Avery 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 1 hour ago, Sodusbird said: The underbelly is all gray it is not a shadow. It's got to be a Downy hybrid. The all-charcoal gray underbelly and its' small size was different from the other two black and white Downys at the feeders. Respectfully, the belly sure looks like it's in the shadow of the suet above it. This looks like a standard, non-hybrid Downy to me. As to it being smaller than other woodpeckers, is it possible the other two were Hairy Woodpeckers, not Downys? Hairys are almost identical in appearance but are about one-third larger. Thanks. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodusbird Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 The Downy came back today. I had my Nikon with me. No sun today. and I took a picture of a regular Downy at the same time. No enhancement just cropping on some. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Quite a weird bird! Definitely a downy, maybe melanistic? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Welp, not a shadow I guess! Have there been any controlled burns or wildfires nearby? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Nice shots of a good crop of woodies. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th photos look like normal Downys to me. That 6th bird has been in the Ninja make-up. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiscalus quiscula Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 21 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said: Nice shots of a good crop of woodies. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th photos look like normal Downys to me. That 6th bird has been in the Ninja make-up. I'd argue that the third looks like the slate-bellied one as well, you just can't see it as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodusbird Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 Regular Downy in third and fourth. Melanistic slate Down is in photos 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. No burns in the Sodus, MI area. If you'll look at photos 4 and 5 you can see that even the stripe under his eye is gray not white. I will continue to observe the Downy as long as it stays around. Does anyone know if it's a female or male? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 4 minutes ago, Sodusbird said: Regular Downy in third and fourth. Melanistic slate Down is in photos 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. No burns in the Sodus, MI area. If you'll look at photos 4 and 5 you can see that even the stripe under his eye is gray not white. I will continue to observe the Downy as long as it stays around. Does anyone know if it's a female or male? Female 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipperatl Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 (edited) That is a seriously cool looking bird. He looks like he is living in a chimney. Edited March 23 by chipperatl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipperatl Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Anyone - Does the Pacific Downy Woodpecker get this dark? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiscalus quiscula Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 1 hour ago, chipperatl said: Anyone - Does the Pacific Downy Woodpecker get this dark? I thought they are usually more buffy than charcoal. The darkest I can find in Macaulay are these: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/413000661?_gl=1*34lnhz*_ga*NDIxNzY1MTI4LjE2NDc2MzEwNTE.*_ga_QR4NVXZ8BM*MTY0ODA4MjgzNy42LjEuMTY0ODA4Mjg1MS40Ng..#_ga=2.212505364.1897976226.1648053894-421765128.1647631051 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/399606151?_gl=1*or8zka*_ga*NDIxNzY1MTI4LjE2NDc2MzEwNTE.*_ga_QR4NVXZ8BM*MTY0ODA4MjgzNy42LjEuMTY0ODA4Mjg1MS40Ng..#_ga=2.246011012.1897976226.1648053894-421765128.1647631051 The map of eBird reports for Pacific Downies shows a few vagrant records, from Tennessee and Colorado. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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