 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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0.396 (0.0609 - 0.735)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Downy Woodpeckers were observed across the province in 343 atlas squares and included a record in the Selwyn Lake Upland in the far northeast. Atlas results highlight treed areas from the boreal forest fringe to portions of the Moist Mixed Grassland as the core of their range in Saskatchewan. In the south, where nesting trees are scarce, Downy Woodpeckers were found in wooded coulees, river valleys, and treed towns and yards. They were also scarce over much of the boreal forest ever diminishing northward.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
The smallest woodpecker in Saskatchewan and a habitat generalist, the Downy Woodpecker occurs everywhere in Saskatchewan except in the extreme northeast corner. It is a common visitor to backyard feeders in summer and winter, taking sunflower seeds and suet. Its small size allows it to forage for insects on trunks and stems only the width of a sapling. It is a permanent resident over an enormous range from central Alaska, southwest Northwest Territories, and south-central Quebec and Newfoundland, south through the US almost to the Mexican border.
The Downy Woodpecker frequents all types of deciduous and mixedwood forest. In southern Saskatchewan it is restricted to aspen groves, wooded coulees, and shelterbelts. In winter it is much more frequently seen in urban areas. Breeding locations, especially in the south, may be limited by the availability of suitable snags.
The Downy Woodpecker is a fairly common permanent resident in the parklands, southern boreal region, and Cypress Hills, and uncommon in the northern boreal region. In the grasslands it varies from rare and local during the breeding season to uncommon during the winter. It tends to range farther south in winter than the similar Hairy Woodpecker (Smith 1996).
Original text by Karen Wiebe. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Downy Woodpecker in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Downy Woodpecker in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=DOWO&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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