Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
At a Glance
The Hairy Woodpecker and the Downy Woodpecker are remarkably similar in pattern, differing mainly in size and bill shape. They often occur together, but the Hairy, a larger bird, requires larger trees; it is usually less common, especially in the east, and less likely to show up in suburbs and city parks. In its feeding, it does more pounding and excavating in trees than most smaller woodpeckers, consuming large numbers of wood-boring insects.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Picidae, Woodpeckers, Tree-clinging Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Forests and Woodlands, High Mountains, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Rapid Wingbeats, Undulating
Population
8.900.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Mostly a permanent resident, the Hairy Woodpecker can be found in various regions. Some birds from the northern edge of its range may move well south in winter, and a few from western mountains move to lower elevations.
Description
Sexes similar - Length: 7.1-10.2 in (18-26 cm); wingspan: 13.0-16.1 in (33-41 cm); weight: 1.4-3.4 oz (40-95 g). The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker boldly patterned in black and white, featuring a stark white patch running down the center of its black back. Its black wings are distinctly checkered with white spots, although western populations generally show less spotting. The face bears striking black and white stripes, and the stiff outer tail feathers are clean white without the black barring seen on similar species. While nearly identical in plumage to the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker is noticeably larger and is best distinguished a bill nearly as long as its head. Adult males sport a vivid red patch on the back of the crown, but females do not have this patch.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Red, White
Wing Shape
Broad, Rounded
Tail Shape
Multi-pointed, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
A sharp, distinctive peek, louder than that of Downy Woodpecker; also a loud rattle on 1 pitch.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Drum, Rattle, Trill
Habitat
Forests, woodlands, river groves, shade trees are all favored by the Hairy Woodpecker. It accepts a wide variety of habitats as long as large trees are present; found in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, groves along rivers in prairie country, open juniper woodland, and swamps. In the southwest and from Mexico to Panama, the Hairy Woodpecker is found in mountain forests, mostly of pine, but also in cloud forests in Central America.
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Behavior
Eggs
4, sometimes 3-6. White. Incubation is by both sexes (with male incubating at night, female most of day), about 14 days.
Young
Both parents of the Hairy Woodpecker feed the nestlings. The male may forage farther from the nest, making fewer feeding trips with more food each time. Young leave the nest 28-30 days after hatching and are fed by parents for some time afterward. This species produces one brood per year.
Feeding Behavior
The Hairy Woodpecker forages mainly on the trunks and limbs of trees, sometimes on vines, shrubs. It is energetic in its search, often probing, scaling off bark, and excavating into dead wood in pursuit of insects. Males may forage more deliberately than females, working longer in one spot.
Diet
Mostly insects, although the Hairy Woodpecker feeds especially on larvae of wood-boring beetles, as well as other beetles, ants, caterpillars, and others. It also eats some berries, seeds, and nuts. This bird will feed on sap at damaged trees or at sapsucker workings, and will come to bird feeders for suet.
Nesting
Hairy Woodpeckers, both male and female, may maintain separate territories in early winter, pairing up in mid-winter, often with a mate from the previous year. The female's winter territory becomes the focus of the nesting territory. Courtship includes both birds drumming in duet and the ritualized tapping at symbolic nest sites by the female. The nest site is a cavity excavated by both sexes, mainly in deciduous trees in the east, and in aspens or dead conifers in the west. The cavity is usually located 4-60 ft above the ground.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Although the Hairy Woodpecker is still very widespread and fairly common, it is thought to have declined from historical levels in many areas. Loss of nesting sites (with cutting of dead snags in forest) is one potential problem. Starlings and House Sparrows may sometimes take over freshly excavated nest cavities.
Climate Threats Facing the Hairy Woodpecker
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
