Hairy Woodpecker

Picoides villosusOrder: PICIFORMESFamily: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

General

Hairy Woodpecker: Small woodpecker with black-and-white upperparts and white underparts. Head has a red hindcrown patch. Tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Northwest birds have gray-brown breast, belly, and rump. Female and juvenile are similar but lack red patch on heads.

Range and Habitat

Hairy Woodpecker: Resident from Alaska across Canada south throughout the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico. Some northern birds migrate south for the winter. Preferred habitats include deciduous forests.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"brrrrup", "kweek"

Interesting Facts

The Hairy Woodpecker has more than 17 recognized subspecies.

They are the most prolific woodpeckers in North America.

The males incubate the eggs during the night while the females incubate them during the day.

A group of woodpeckers has many collective nouns, including a "descent", "drumming", and "gatling" of woodpeckers.

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker: Small woodpecker with black-and-white upperparts, white underparts. Head has red hindcrown patch. Face is white with black stripes.Tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Northwest birds have gray-brown breast, belly, and rump. Bill is long and black. Legs and feet are black.

● Song: "brrrrup", "kweek"

● Foraging & Feeding: Hairy Woodpecker: Diet consists of insects, especially gypsy moth caterpillars and pupae, spiders, nuts, seeds, and fruits; forages in trees, bushes, brush piles, and canes.

● Breeding & nesting: Hairy Woodpecker: Three to six white eggs are laid in a hole in a tree. Incubation ranges from 11 to 15 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Hairy Woodpecker: Downy Woodpecker is smaller, has proportionally smaller bill, barred outer tail feathers, and different call.

Flight Pattern

Rapidly beating wings., Undulating flight.

● Range & Habitat: Hairy Woodpecker: Resident from Alaska across Canada south throughout the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico. Some northern birds migrate south for the winter. Preferred habitats include deciduous forests.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationSome migrate

^Weight2.5 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America