Downy Woodpecker vs. House Sparrow

Occasionally a Downy Woodpecker will show up on the balcony to see what's available, but not often. After a long absence, this fellow made an appearance tonight and really really wanted to go at the homemade suet. Unfortunately, he was up against this aggressive house sparrow and they fought it out beak and claw. The Downy held his own!




But something about this Downy looks different. Notice that he has the red feathers on his head, but they don't appear to be completely filled in. Is he a juvenile? Isn't it too early for fledgling DOWO's in the Midwest? Or perhaps his feathers are just ruffled because of the altercation with the HOSP? What do you think?  (Click on any photo for a larger view.)




Sorry about the poor quality of the photos. No matter how good your camera may be, it's difficult to shoot through [dirty] double-paned glass plus a screen :(


No matter, it was a good show and I'm happy the Downy fought off the HOSP as best he could. If you have an opinion, please feel free to leave it in the comments section.

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