WhenToBird

Dryobates pubescens · Picidae

When Do Downy Woodpeckers Arrive in Ohio?

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

The Downy Woodpecker is in Ohio all year. It turns up on about 45% of checklists at its peak (late September) and on 30% in its quietest week (early June).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekSep 22-30late September
Quietest weekJun 1-7early June

Best: late September. Here all year. Peak: on about 45% of Ohio 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 46637 checklistsJan 8-14: 41% of 31056 checklistsJan 15-21: 41% of 30129 checklistsJan 22-31: 41% of 38665 checklistsFeb 1-7: 41% of 27203 checklistsFeb 8-14: 43% of 30626 checklistsFeb 15-21: 44% of 40705 checklistsFeb 22-28: 37% of 31391 checklistsMar 1-7: 36% of 32914 checklistsMar 8-14: 36% of 33973 checklistsMar 15-21: 36% of 33678 checklistsMar 22-31: 39% of 49889 checklistsApr 1-7: 41% of 41225 checklistsApr 8-14: 42% of 47174 checklistsApr 15-21: 43% of 47017 checklistsApr 22-30: 43% of 73055 checklistsMay 1-7: 39% of 80637 checklistsMay 8-14: 34% of 102552 checklistsMay 15-21: 32% of 64582 checklistsMay 22-31: 29% of 52766 checklistsJun 1-7: 29% of 29279 checklistsJun 8-14: 31% of 25773 checklistsJun 15-21: 34% of 23163 checklistsJun 22-30: 34% of 27794 checklistsJul 1-7: 34% of 23334 checklistsJul 8-14: 33% of 22147 checklistsJul 15-21: 33% of 20998 checklistsJul 22-31: 32% of 29749 checklistsAug 1-7: 30% of 22899 checklistsAug 8-14: 30% of 21972 checklistsAug 15-21: 30% of 22215 checklistsAug 22-31: 34% of 35087 checklistsSep 1-7: 39% of 29148 checklistsSep 8-14: 43% of 28042 checklistsSep 15-21: 45% of 26751 checklistsSep 22-30: 45% of 32398 checklistsOct 1-7: 45% of 26209 checklistsOct 8-14: 44% of 26809 checklistsOct 15-21: 41% of 23504 checklistsOct 22-31: 42% of 33269 checklistsNov 1-7: 42% of 25563 checklistsNov 8-14: 42% of 23810 checklistsNov 15-21: 41% of 22127 checklistsNov 22-30: 42% of 29449 checklistsDec 1-7: 42% of 22370 checklistsDec 8-14: 43% of 21581 checklistsDec 15-21: 45% of 24232 checklistsDec 22-31: 44% of 36084 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 Ohio 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 Ohio

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Miami CountyBest the second week of December · 122 checklists that week, 12,280 in all77%
  2. Meigs CountyBest the second week of January · 76 checklists that week, 1,139 in all75%
  3. Marion CountyBest late November · 161 checklists that week, 14,246 in all71%
  4. Ross CountyBest late November · 29 checklists that week, 3,213 in all70%
  5. Van Wert CountyBest late January · 30 checklists that week, 2,246 in all70%
  6. Morrow CountyBest late January · 80 checklists that week, 3,725 in all69%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. The West WoodsGeauga County, best late November · 26 checklists that week, 1,055 in all100%
  2. Swan Creek Preserve Metropark (northwest)Lucas County, best late November · 21 checklists that week, 517 in all100%
  3. Clouse LakePerry County, best mid December · 34 checklists that week, 2,819 in all99%
  4. Cisler Terrace ParkWashington County, best mid January · 22 checklists that week, 704 in all98%
  5. Grand River Wildlife AreaTrumbull County, best mid August · 24 checklists that week, 1,401 in all98%
  6. Hoover Reservoir Park (south 2)Delaware County, best the second week of April · 23 checklists that week, 1,072 in all97%

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

Best time of day

In Ohio, the Downy Woodpecker is most often listed on checklists started between 7 and 9 am (49% of those checklists).

0%20%40%60%12 am: too few checklists (574) to judge1 am: too few checklists (609) to judge2 am: too few checklists (466) to judge3 am: too few checklists (478) to judge4 am: too few checklists (662) to judge5 am: too few checklists (4366) to judge6 am: 45% of 43093 checklists7 am: 50% of 142017 checklists8 am: 48% of 205296 checklists9 am: 43% of 196322 checklists10 am: 39% of 170882 checklists11 am: 35% of 144567 checklists12 pm: 34% of 126551 checklists1 pm: 33% of 117855 checklists2 pm: 33% of 112869 checklists3 pm: 35% of 109786 checklists4 pm: 34% of 103116 checklists5 pm: 32% of 78409 checklists6 pm: 31% of 56785 checklists7 pm: 25% of 37923 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (14954) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (2710) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (854) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (486) 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%41%41%41%
February41%43%44%37%
March36%36%36%39%
April41%42%43%43%
May39%34%32%29%
June29%31%34%34%
July34%33%33%32%
August30%30%30%34%
September39%43%45%45%
October45%44%41%42%
November42%42%41%42%
December42%43%45%44%

Neighboring states

  • West Virginia: year-round, peaks the second week of January
  • Indiana: year-round, peaks mid September
  • Michigan: year-round, peaks the second week of February
  • Kentucky: year-round, peaks late September

Common questions

When do Downy Woodpeckers arrive in Ohio?
The Downy Woodpecker is in Ohio all year. It turns up on about 45% of checklists at its peak (late September) and on 30% in its quietest week (early June).
When do Downy Woodpeckers leave Ohio?
The Downy Woodpecker does not leave Ohio: it is reported all year, from 30% of checklists in early June to 45% in late September.
When is the best time to see a Downy Woodpecker in Ohio?
The Downy Woodpecker is reported most often in late September, on about 45% of Ohio checklists.
Where in Ohio are Downy Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Miami County, Meigs County, and Marion County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Downy Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).