Downy Woodpecker

SCI Name:  Dryobates pubescens
Protonym:  Picus pubescens Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.175
Taxonomy:  Piciformes / Picidae / Dryobates
Taxonomy Code:  dowwoo
Type Locality:  North America, = South Carolina.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae  ...  Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1^st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ...  for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ...  The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.

dryobates
Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk.

pubescens
L. pubescens, pubescentis  pubescent, downy  < pubescere  to become pubescent  < pubes, puberis  adult.
● ex “Smallest Spotted Wood-pecker” of Catesby 1731: “It so nearly resembles the hairy wood-pecker ... in its mark and colour, that were it not for disparity of size, they might be thought to be the same,” and “Picus varius virginianus minor” of Brisson 1760. Storrs Olson in litt., wryly commented, “I suppose Linnaeus figured that if the big one was hairy, then the little one was downy, hence pubescens. Also, Linnaeus would never have passed up an opportunity to introduce a name with any prurient connections if he possibly could do so” (Dryobates).

SUBSPECIES

Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)
SCI Name: Dryobates pubescens pubescens/medianus
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae  ...  Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1^st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ...  for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ...  The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.

Downy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.)
SCI Name: Dryobates pubescens leucurus/glacialis
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae  ...  Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1^st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ...  for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ...  The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.

Downy Woodpecker (Pacific)
SCI Name: Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii/turati
DRYOBATES
(Picidae; Ϯ Downy Woodpecker D. pubescens) Gr. δρυς drus, δρυος druos  tree; βατης batēs  walker  < βατεω bateō  to tread  < βαινω bainō  to walk; "XXIX. Fam. Picidae  ...  Dryobates: Picus pubescens Gm. u. s. w." (Boie 1826); “In the 1^st edition of the List and in the Cat. Birds B. M. the generic name Dendrocopus is used. This was first introduced by Koch [Dendrocopos 1816] ...  for the Spotted Woodpeckers. The same name, however, had previously been used by Vieillot [1816] ...  The type of Vieillot’s Dendrocopus is either “le Picucule” or “le Talapiot” of Daubenton, now known respectively as Dendrocolaptes certhia (Bodd.) and Dendroplex picus (Gmel.), both of which belong to the family Dendrocolaptidae. Dendrocopus cannot therefore be used for the Spotted Woodpeckers.” (BOU 1915); "Dryobates Boie, Isis von Oken, 1826, Bd. 2, col. 977. Type, by monotypy, Picus pubescens Linné." (Peters, 1948, VI, p. 180).
Synon. Hyloscopus.