Hairy Woodpecker

The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized black-and-white woodpecker widespread across North American forests, closely resembling the smaller Downy Woodpecker in overall pattern but larger and more powerfully built. It has a black-and-white checkered back, spotted wings, clean white underparts, and a long, straight, chisel-like bill nearly as long as the head - a key distinguishing feature from its smaller relative.

Males show a small red patch on the back of the head, absent in females. The outer tail feathers are typically plain white, unlike the small black spotting often seen on Downy Woodpeckers.

A powerful excavator capable of penetrating solid wood in search of deeply buried insect larvae, the Hairy Woodpecker plays an important ecological role in forest insect control and cavity creation for other wildlife.

Key Field Marks

• Medium size, noticeably larger and more robust than a Downy Woodpecker
• Long, straight bill roughly equal in length to the depth of the head
• Black-and-white checkered back and spotted wings, clean white underparts
• Outer tail feathers typically unspotted white; males show a red nape patch

Similar Species

• Downy Woodpecker is smaller overall with a short, stubby bill much shorter than the head, and often shows small black spots on the white outer tail feathers.
• Voice also differs: the Hairy's whinny call stays level in pitch, while the Downy's descends toward the end.

Hairy Woodpeckers range across nearly all of North America, from Alaska and Canada south through the United States into parts of Mexico and Central America, inhabiting mature deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, as well as wooded parks, woodlots, and occasionally suburban areas with large trees.

This species is largely non-migratory, maintaining year-round territories, though northern and montane birds may make short-distance movements to lower elevations in severe winters.

Behavior

Hairy Woodpeckers forage methodically on trunks and large branches, often working higher and on larger-diameter wood than the smaller Downy Woodpecker, and can be aggressive in defending territory and food resources.

Voice

The call is a sharp, loud "peek," louder and more emphatic than the Downy's; the whinny call is an even, level-pitched rattle, distinguishing it from the Downy's descending whinny. Both sexes drum in loud, evenly spaced bursts.

Feeding

They excavate deeply into dead and dying wood to extract wood-boring beetle larvae and other insects, and also eat some seeds, berries, and sap, occasionally visiting suet feeders.

Nesting & Breeding

Both parents excavate a nest cavity, typically in a dead tree or dead section of a live tree, and lay 3-6 eggs. Both sexes share incubation and feeding, and pairs may remain together on the same territory across multiple breeding seasons.