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Evelynn Brogan
Worcester, MA, USA
These photos were taken at my suet feeder where I saw what seems to be a yellow Downy Woodpecker. I’m not sure if that’s actually what it is, but I couldn’t find any images online or in my books to compare to.
Melanism
Regards Evelynn, I don’t know when you posted these pictures but I’m glad you did because I just had a Downy appear at my feeder looking just like this. Maybe even a little brighter yellow and these are the only photos I could find on the web. I was reading about carotenism but I don’t know if that is the explanation. Wondering if you ever learned cause? I haven’t been able to get a picture but I’ll keep trying.
We also have what appears to be a yellow-tinged Downy woodpecker. We are in Ham Lake, MN and it appeared the spring of 2022 and is a regular at our suet feeders. I can’t get a great picture.
We have seen 2 of these yellow anomalies of the downy woodpecker at our feeders recently. At first I thought maybe he is just covered in pollen, but he never changes from day to day. And today there was another downy male who was also mostly yellow where he should have been white. I am in eastern Ontario, CA.
Edit: The ones we have seen are actually hairy woodpeckers, not downy, as they are larger in size.
We have seen a male yellow-tinged downy woodpecker in Silver Bay NY on Lake George on our feeders starting around mid-June 2022. Bird appears healthy and is a stronger mustard-color where the white should be. Will try to get a picture as well.
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