Downy Woodpecker

Beaumont Birdie Passport

Tyrrell

Birthdate: January 12
Male
Currently Resides: Botanical Gardens

Checkered black-and-white with a chisel-like bill,
Tyrrell’s a woodpecker who just likes to chill.
Balancing on tree limbs to forage food that catches his eye,
Just wait till you see him rise and fall, when he flies in the sky.

Did you know? The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. 

Downy Woodpecker

In contrast to the pileated woodpecker, the downy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. Named after its soft feathers down its back, the downy woodpecker is the most common woodpecker on the continent. Covering most of North America, the downy woodpecker is compact in size with black-and-white coloring and a chisel-tipped bill. Males have a small red patch on their heads, distinguishing them apart from females.

The downy woodpecker has a high-pitched voice described as the whinnying call. Their call is called a ‘pik’, that starts high and then descends into the whinny. Like other woodpeckers, the downy drums against wood to claim their territory along with their mate. They prefer a deciduous woodland, settling along streams or forest edges and thrive in human-altered habitats, feeding on wood-boring beetle larvae and various insects, plants, nuts and seeds. The male and female have separate feeding areas, where the males mostly go high and female are lower to the ground.

The downy woodpecker is unique in that its size allows it to feed in places where larger woodpeckers cannot. It can balance on slender branches and trunks, allowing it to have a range in territory. Mostly staying in lower elevation, the downy woodpecker has been recorded from just above sea level to 9,022 feet.  

Botanical Gardens

The Beaumont Botanical Gardens is a public garden located within Tyrrell Park, which includes the Warren Loose Conservatory - the second largest in a public garden in Texas. Explore the theme gardens showcasing camellias, modern and antique roses, bromeliads and native plants connected by a paved walkway offering plenty of benches to sit and relax.
A veritable sanctuary of flora, the Beaumont Botanical Gardens offers a Horticulture Center, Native Plant Center, Japanese garden, modern rose garden and 9/11 Memorial Garden. The building is perfect for events such as weddings, reunions or meetings and can accommodate up to 350 people.

Hours:
Monday  - Tuesday 9AM - 4PM
Thursday - Friday 9AM - 4PM
Saturday - Sunday 1-5 PM