![]() A log suet feeder works great for Hairys and other woodpeckers, and chickadees and nuthatches as well. Downy woodpeckers are among our most common backyard birds. Spying this three-inch difference across a meadow or a yard can be hard at first. The Downy is a little over six inches tall, while the Hairy is almost 50 percent taller. A suet feeder or peanut feeder is a great way to entice woodpeckers to a backyard feeding station and they will occasionally come to a feeder stocked with a mix containing sunflower chips or peanuts. Marie ReadA female hairy woodpecker female and female downy woodpecker perch on same bird feeder. If the bill is not in viewthe bird is usually facing a tree, after allmove on to what is perhaps the best clue: overall size. The woodpecker’s common method of searching within tree bark for bugs is well known though they will also eat berries and nuts if available. The diet of the Hairy Woodpecker consists mostly of insects, even in the wintertime. Compare this to nuthatches that use only their feet. As with all woodpeckers, the Hairy uses its tail feathers as a prop, almost like a kangaroo uses its tail, to balance on a tree trunk. They’ll often follow Pileateds, using their holes to rummage for additional insects. They will rarely use the narrow branches that the Downy browses on, preferring to keep to the tree trunk and major limbs. They are found nearly all throughout North America, including Canada and Alaska. ![]() ![]() Hairy Woodpeckers can be found in almost any type of wooded habitat though it is most commonly seen in mature woods. With practice it becomes easier to tell the two species apart. Hairy Woodpeckers have a longer and more substantial bill that is very close in length to the depth of its head. Youre not the first person to be perplexed by Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. Note difference in red pattern on hind crown. Downy Woodpecker (left) and Hairy Woodpecker, males viewed from behind. The Hairy Woodpeckers bill is almost as long as. The large one with red on the back of the head is a male Hairy Woodpecker. Male Downy Woodpecker has a solid red patch across the back of the head, while male Hairy has the red patch broken by a vertical black line connecting the crown and nape. The Downy Woodpecker has a smaller bill that is shorter than the depth of its head. The back feathers of the Hairy Woodpecker are stiff and hair-like, a contrast to the Downys softer feathers. Size can be difficult to judge unless they’re near each other, so compare the size of the bill relative to the bird’s head. Hairy Woodpeckers are 9 ¼” long, nearly the size of a skinny robin, whereas Downy Woodpeckers are only about 6 ¾” long, just a little bigger than a House Sparrow. Compared to the larger Hairy Woodpecker, the Downy Woodpecker is smaller in size. Hairy Woodpeckers look very similar to the smaller Downy Woodpecker. ![]() The Hairy has a large, strong bill used for chiseling into wood. Hairy Woodpeckers do not have spots on these white tail feathers, unlike the Downy Woodpecker. This woodpecker has a mostly black tail with white outer tail feathers. The male has a red spot on the back of his head whereas the female does not. Hairy Woodpeckers are black and white with a white belly. Share Trx_addons_twitter Trx_addons_facebook E-mail ![]()
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