Downy Woodpecker vs Japanese White-eye

Picoides pubescens 对比 Zosterops japonicus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Downy Woodpecker Japanese White-eye
学名 Picoides pubescens Zosterops japonicus
Piciformes Passeriformes
Picidae Zosteropidae
保护状况 Least Concern Least Concern
体长 16.0 cm (6.3 in) 11.5 cm (4.5 in)
翼展 28.0 cm (11.0 in) 17.0 cm (6.7 in)
体重 27.0 g (0.95 oz) 11.0 g (0.39 oz)
食性 Insects and larvae extracted from bark, supplemented with seeds, berries, and suet at feeders. Often … Insects, nectar, and fruit. Active gleaner that flits through foliage and visits flowers. Important pollinator …
产卵数 -- 2-6
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Downy Woodpecker 16.0 cm
Japanese White-eye 11.5 cm
翼展
Downy Woodpecker 28.0 cm
Japanese White-eye 17.0 cm
体重
Downy Woodpecker 27.0 g
Japanese White-eye 11.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

共同栖息地

Downy Woodpecker only

Japanese White-eye only

Downy Woodpecker

Deciduous and mixed forests, orchards, parks, and suburban areas. The most common woodpecker at feeders in North America.

Japanese White-eye

Broadleaf evergreen forests, gardens, parks, and suburban areas. Highly adaptable and common in East Asian gardens.

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Song & Call Comparison

Downy Woodpecker

鸣唱

A sharp 'pik' or 'peek' contact call. Drums on resonant branches with a rapid, light tattoo — softer than larger woodpeckers. Also gives a high descending whinny 'keeer-keeer'.

Japanese White-eye

鸣唱

Sweet, high-pitched 'tsee-tsee-tsee' whistle and soft melodic warbling. Flocks produce a continuous tinkling chorus. Alarm is a sharper 'tset'. Song is gentle and rhythmic.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Downy Woodpecker

North America from Alaska and Canada south through the United States, excluding the arid Southwest.

Japanese White-eye

East Asia including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands.

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保护状况

Least Concern

Downy Woodpecker

Least Concern

Japanese White-eye

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How to Tell Them Apart

Downy Woodpecker

羽毛

Black and white plumage with a broad white stripe down the back. Black wings with white spots. Males have a small red patch on the nape.

Short, chisel-shaped, dark bill — noticeably shorter than the similar hairy woodpecker

Japanese White-eye

羽毛

Olive-green upperparts with a bright white eye-ring. Yellow throat and undertail coverts. Greyish-white belly.

Thin, pointed, slightly decurved dark bill

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About These Birds

Downy Woodpecker

The downy woodpecker is the smallest and most widespread woodpecker in North America. Its small size allows it to forage on thin branches and weed stems that larger woodpeckers cannot access. Downies often join mixed-species flocks in winter, benefiting from the extra vigilance of multiple species watching for predators.

Japanese White-eye

The Japanese white-eye is a familiar garden bird across East Asia, beloved in Japan where it is called mejiro. These sociable birds form flocks outside the breeding season and are important pollinators of plum and cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, introduced populations in Hawaii have become invasive, competing with native honeycreepers.

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