Downy Woodpecker undergoes an incomplete preformative molt and incomplete to complete prebasic molts, but has no prealternate molts. The resulting molt limits permit many individuals to be aged to at least TCB (TY). Downy Woodpeckers are generally easy to sex throughout the year.
Species account prepared by McGill Bird Observatory (2018). Last updated by Marcel Gahbauer (Mar 2022)
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FCJ - (HY: May - September) | |
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Crown mottled with little to no (F) or moderate to substantial (M) red patch; p10 rounded and at least 7 mm longer than the primary coverts; iris grayish-brown | |
No images available yet | |
FCF - (HY/SY: June - following September) | |
Primary coverts uniformly paler than greater coverts and primaries, becoming distinctly brown over time; p10 pointed and at most 6 mm longer than the primary coverts; iris brownish; hind crown with (M) or without (F) red patch | |
No images available yet | |
SCB - (SY/TY: June - following September) | |
Brown inner primary coverts contrasting with black outer primary coverts, greater coverts, and primaries; p10 pointed and at most 6 mm longer than the primary coverts; iris brownish to reddish; hind crown with (M) or without (F) red patch | |
No images available yet | |
DCB - (ASY/ATY: June - following September) | |
Primary coverts uniformly black or with mixed generations (possibly recognizable as TCB - TY/4Y if any retained inner primary coverts are particularly pale and worn); p10 pointed and at most 6 mm longer than the primary coverts; iris dark red; hind crown with (M) or without (F) red patch | |
No images available yet |
FPJ - (HY: May - September) | ||
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Similar to FCJ; some natal down remaining and/or juvenile flight feathers still growing in | ||
No images available yet | ||
FPF - (HY: June - October) | ||
Primaries, rectrices, and some inner secondaries and inner greater coverts being replaced | ||
No images available yet | ||
SPB - (SY: June - October) | ||
Primaries, rectrices, most to all secondaries, and up to five outer primary coverts being replaced | ||
M |
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TPB | ||
Description to be developed. | ||
No images available yet | ||
DPB - (ASY: June - October) | ||
Primaries, rectrices, most to all secondaries, and various primary coverts (often not contiguous) being replaced | ||
No images available yet |
Molt classes | Age | Months | Key traits |
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M-FPF / UPU (FPF, SPB, DPB) | U | June - October | Undergoing preformative or prebasic molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
M-FCF / UCU (FCF, SCB, DCB) | U/AHY | January - December | In formative or basic plumage (molt completed), but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
M-SPB / UPU (SPB, DPB) | AHY | June - October | Undergoing prebasic molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
M-SCB / UCU (SCB, DCB) | AHY/ASY | January - December | Mostly to entirely in basic plumage (molt completed), but cannot be reliably distinguished between second and subsequent cycles |