WhenToBird

Dryobates pubescens · Picidae

When Do Downy Woodpeckers Arrive in Michigan?

Adult female Downy Woodpecker
Photo: joy4birds, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

The Downy Woodpecker is in Michigan all year. It turns up on about 45% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 20% in its quietest week (early June).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekFeb 8-14the second week of February
Quietest weekJun 1-7early June

Best: the second week of February. Here all year. Peak: on about 45% of Michigan checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%20%40%60%Jan 1-7: 39% of 38160 checklistsJan 8-14: 42% of 24696 checklistsJan 15-21: 43% of 23771 checklistsJan 22-31: 44% of 31347 checklistsFeb 1-7: 43% of 23225 checklistsFeb 8-14: 44% of 27398 checklistsFeb 15-21: 46% of 36606 checklistsFeb 22-28: 40% of 27127 checklistsMar 1-7: 37% of 29700 checklistsMar 8-14: 35% of 31587 checklistsMar 15-21: 35% of 32118 checklistsMar 22-31: 35% of 47777 checklistsApr 1-7: 37% of 38557 checklistsApr 8-14: 38% of 42207 checklistsApr 15-21: 38% of 42759 checklistsApr 22-30: 39% of 64458 checklistsMay 1-7: 40% of 60998 checklistsMay 8-14: 35% of 72091 checklistsMay 15-21: 28% of 59058 checklistsMay 22-31: 21% of 64724 checklistsJun 1-7: 19% of 35990 checklistsJun 8-14: 20% of 32595 checklistsJun 15-21: 23% of 30017 checklistsJun 22-30: 25% of 33988 checklistsJul 1-7: 27% of 28708 checklistsJul 8-14: 27% of 25175 checklistsJul 15-21: 28% of 24084 checklistsJul 22-31: 29% of 33522 checklistsAug 1-7: 30% of 25098 checklistsAug 8-14: 30% of 24353 checklistsAug 15-21: 32% of 25059 checklistsAug 22-31: 35% of 37489 checklistsSep 1-7: 40% of 28410 checklistsSep 8-14: 42% of 27887 checklistsSep 15-21: 42% of 26614 checklistsSep 22-30: 42% of 32557 checklistsOct 1-7: 41% of 25844 checklistsOct 8-14: 39% of 27741 checklistsOct 15-21: 39% of 24693 checklistsOct 22-31: 40% of 32460 checklistsNov 1-7: 40% of 23660 checklistsNov 8-14: 40% of 21542 checklistsNov 15-21: 41% of 19922 checklistsNov 22-30: 42% of 25069 checklistsDec 1-7: 43% of 18272 checklistsDec 8-14: 43% of 18961 checklistsDec 15-21: 42% of 24171 checklistsDec 22-31: 45% of 30908 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Michigan that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Michigan

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Wexford CountyBest the second week of December · 76 checklists that week, 5,111 in all82%
  2. Otsego CountyBest early December · 105 checklists that week, 7,286 in all82%
  3. Osceola CountyBest mid December · 78 checklists that week, 5,623 in all79%
  4. Ogemaw CountyBest mid September · 87 checklists that week, 4,675 in all79%
  5. Mecosta CountyBest the second week of January · 152 checklists that week, 11,248 in all75%
  6. Crawford CountyBest the second week of January · 150 checklists that week, 16,949 in all71%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. South JacksonJackson County, best early January · 21 checklists that week, 570 in all96%
  2. Chippewa Nature CenterMidland County, best mid January · 22 checklists that week, 1,856 in all96%
  3. Flushing Township ParkGenesee County, best late August · 54 checklists that week, 1,247 in all95%
  4. McLaughlin LakeWashtenaw County, best mid February · 25 checklists that week, 688 in all94%
  5. Wildwing Lake (northeast)Oakland County, best late January · 34 checklists that week, 1,430 in all94%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Michigan, the Downy Woodpecker is most often listed on checklists started between 7 and 9 am (47% of those checklists).

0%20%40%60%12 am: too few checklists (712) to judge1 am: too few checklists (592) to judge2 am: too few checklists (532) to judge3 am: too few checklists (516) to judge4 am: too few checklists (1592) to judge5 am: too few checklists (6849) to judge6 am: 39% of 39298 checklists7 am: 46% of 120344 checklists8 am: 48% of 180109 checklists9 am: 42% of 171966 checklists10 am: 37% of 156332 checklists11 am: 33% of 134964 checklists12 pm: 32% of 120967 checklists1 pm: 32% of 113852 checklists2 pm: 32% of 110773 checklists3 pm: 32% of 105530 checklists4 pm: 32% of 100958 checklists5 pm: 30% of 80085 checklists6 pm: 30% of 62883 checklists7 pm: 24% of 44912 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (21062) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (5920) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1629) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (775) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January39%42%43%44%
February43%44%46%40%
March37%35%35%35%
April37%38%38%39%
May40%35%28%21%
June19%20%23%25%
July27%27%28%29%
August30%30%32%35%
September40%42%42%42%
October41%39%39%40%
November40%40%41%42%
December43%43%42%45%

Neighboring states

  • Ohio: year-round, peaks late September
  • Indiana: year-round, peaks mid September
  • Illinois: year-round, peaks mid September
  • Wisconsin: year-round, peaks the second week of February

Common questions

When do Downy Woodpeckers arrive in Michigan?
The Downy Woodpecker is in Michigan all year. It turns up on about 45% of checklists at its peak (the second week of February) and on 20% in its quietest week (early June).
When do Downy Woodpeckers leave Michigan?
The Downy Woodpecker does not leave Michigan: it is reported all year, from 20% of checklists in early June to 45% in the second week of February.
When is the best time to see a Downy Woodpecker in Michigan?
The Downy Woodpecker is reported most often in the second week of February, on about 45% of Michigan checklists.
Where in Michigan are Downy Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Wexford County, Otsego County, and Osceola County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Downy Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).