WhenToBird

Dryobates pubescens · Picidae

When Do Downy Woodpeckers Arrive in Minnesota?

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

The Downy Woodpecker is in Minnesota all year. It turns up on about 45% of checklists at its peak (mid December) and on 22% in its quietest week (the second week of June).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekDec 15-21mid December
Quietest weekJun 8-14the second week of June

Best: mid December. Here all year. Peak: on about 45% of Minnesota 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: 42% of 20628 checklistsJan 8-14: 42% of 14594 checklistsJan 15-21: 43% of 14238 checklistsJan 22-31: 42% of 20725 checklistsFeb 1-7: 42% of 14484 checklistsFeb 8-14: 42% of 15988 checklistsFeb 15-21: 44% of 20718 checklistsFeb 22-28: 40% of 15754 checklistsMar 1-7: 39% of 16125 checklistsMar 8-14: 36% of 19035 checklistsMar 15-21: 35% of 19586 checklistsMar 22-31: 33% of 30192 checklistsApr 1-7: 35% of 24262 checklistsApr 8-14: 35% of 30223 checklistsApr 15-21: 35% of 29085 checklistsApr 22-30: 34% of 43574 checklistsMay 1-7: 39% of 39300 checklistsMay 8-14: 38% of 45927 checklistsMay 15-21: 32% of 36632 checklistsMay 22-31: 24% of 43809 checklistsJun 1-7: 21% of 23418 checklistsJun 8-14: 22% of 20450 checklistsJun 15-21: 24% of 19470 checklistsJun 22-30: 26% of 23418 checklistsJul 1-7: 29% of 19104 checklistsJul 8-14: 29% of 16927 checklistsJul 15-21: 30% of 15635 checklistsJul 22-31: 30% of 22073 checklistsAug 1-7: 31% of 16255 checklistsAug 8-14: 31% of 16840 checklistsAug 15-21: 35% of 17475 checklistsAug 22-31: 40% of 26545 checklistsSep 1-7: 42% of 20750 checklistsSep 8-14: 44% of 18494 checklistsSep 15-21: 40% of 18215 checklistsSep 22-30: 40% of 24463 checklistsOct 1-7: 40% of 18252 checklistsOct 8-14: 37% of 19527 checklistsOct 15-21: 37% of 17098 checklistsOct 22-31: 38% of 24570 checklistsNov 1-7: 38% of 16744 checklistsNov 8-14: 40% of 13483 checklistsNov 15-21: 41% of 12525 checklistsNov 22-30: 42% of 17023 checklistsDec 1-7: 42% of 11645 checklistsDec 8-14: 44% of 11567 checklistsDec 15-21: 45% of 13343 checklistsDec 22-31: 45% of 19759 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Todd CountyBest late November · 78 checklists that week, 4,802 in all86%
  2. Le Sueur CountyBest early February · 56 checklists that week, 5,034 in all83%
  3. Morrison CountyBest early January · 41 checklists that week, 3,424 in all79%
  4. Hubbard CountyBest the second week of January · 51 checklists that week, 5,131 in all76%
  5. Meeker CountyBest mid January · 47 checklists that week, 4,480 in all73%
  6. Wabasha CountyBest early February · 103 checklists that week, 6,548 in all70%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Kabekona LakeHubbard County, best early January · 27 checklists that week, 1,402 in all100%
  2. Gables LakeWashington County, best the second week of August · 21 checklists that week, 1,181 in all98%
  3. Lake WinnibigoshishItasca County, best mid January · 42 checklists that week, 123 in all94%
  4. Long Meadow Lake Unit ParkHennepin County, best mid December · 60 checklists that week, 3,200 in all94%
  5. Springbrook Nature CenterAnoka County, best late January · 20 checklists that week, 788 in all94%

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

Best time of day

In Minnesota, 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 (349) to judge1 am: too few checklists (331) to judge2 am: too few checklists (286) to judge3 am: too few checklists (364) to judge4 am: too few checklists (863) to judge5 am: too few checklists (7598) to judge6 am: 44% of 35775 checklists7 am: 47% of 90565 checklists8 am: 47% of 110612 checklists9 am: 41% of 106128 checklists10 am: 37% of 96131 checklists11 am: 33% of 83750 checklists12 pm: 32% of 76254 checklists1 pm: 32% of 73480 checklists2 pm: 31% of 73703 checklists3 pm: 32% of 75249 checklists4 pm: 31% of 68810 checklists5 pm: 30% of 51899 checklists6 pm: 29% of 38524 checklists7 pm: 22% of 25120 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (10568) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (2420) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (748) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (420) 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
January42%42%43%42%
February42%42%44%40%
March39%36%35%33%
April35%35%35%34%
May39%38%32%24%
June21%22%24%26%
July29%29%30%30%
August31%31%35%40%
September42%44%40%40%
October40%37%37%38%
November38%40%41%42%
December42%44%45%45%

Neighboring states

  • Iowa: year-round, peaks early February
  • Wisconsin: year-round, peaks the second week of February
  • South Dakota: all year, most in winter, peaks mid February
  • North Dakota: all year, most in winter, peaks the second week of February

Common questions

When do Downy Woodpeckers arrive in Minnesota?
The Downy Woodpecker is in Minnesota all year. It turns up on about 45% of checklists at its peak (mid December) and on 22% in its quietest week (the second week of June).
When do Downy Woodpeckers leave Minnesota?
The Downy Woodpecker does not leave Minnesota: it is reported all year, from 22% of checklists in the second week of June to 45% in mid December.
When is the best time to see a Downy Woodpecker in Minnesota?
The Downy Woodpecker is reported most often in mid December, on about 45% of Minnesota checklists.
Where in Minnesota are Downy Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Todd County, Le Sueur County, and Morrison County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Downy Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).