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BIRD ID
Beginning ID: Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
 | | Downy Woodpecker, female |
|  | | Hairy Woodpecker, male |
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Two of the most widespread woodpeckers in North America are the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. These are also among the most common woodpecker visitors to your feeder, where they eat suet and sometimes other seeds and nuts.
These two species can be distinguished from all other North American woodpeckers by the combination of the large white patch on their upper back and their clear, unmarked, white chest and belly. In both species, the male and female look similar except for a small red patch on the back of the head of the male. Knowing this is fun, for you can see when a pair is at your feeders.
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are almost carbon copies of each other, except that the Hairy Woodpecker is substantially larger. We find one of the best ways to distinguish between them is by looking at the proportion of the length of their bill to the length of their head. In the Downy, the bill is about half the length of the head; in the Hairy, the bill is almost as long as the head.
For more advanced tips on identifying Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, click here.
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