How to Identify aHairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus · 7.1–10.2 in (18–26 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Black-and-white checkered wings, white back stripe, white underparts, and a red patch on the back of the head.
Female
Same pattern without the red nape patch.
Male photo: JerryFriedman / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Second photo: Sam Kieschnick / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0
Field marks
- Bill nearly as long as the head is deep
- Clean white back stripe
- White (usually unspotted) outer tail feathers
- Male shows a red nape spot
Similar species
What it sounds like
A sharp, emphatic "peek" and a rattling call that stays level in pitch rather than descending.
Behaviour that gives it away
Follows Pileated Woodpeckers to feed in the fresh excavations they leave behind.
Habitat & range
Mature forests, woodlots, and wooded suburbs across most of North America.
When you'll see it
Present all year in North America.
What it eats
Wood-boring insects and larvae, plus seeds and suet at feeders.
Did you know?
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers look almost identical yet aren't closely related — a classic case of look-alikes.
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