A familiar visitor to bird feeders, the hairy woodpecker is named for the long, hair-like white feathers on its back. The hairy looks like a super-sized version of a downy woodpecker, but the best way to tell these two similar species apart is to compare the length of the bill to the length (front-to-back) of […]
The downy is the smallest (6 ¾ inches long), most common, and most widespread woodpecker. Its black-and-white plumage is similar to that of the larger (9 ¼ inches long) hairy woodpecker. In both species, the males have a red patch at the back of the head. Downy woodpeckers have an all-white breast and belly and
It is immediately recognized by the black-and-white zebra barring on the back and the red cowl, which is limited to the back of the head in females. Tolerant of humans, it is a regular visitor to feeders, favoring sunflower seed, suet, and fruit. Highly vocal, the most common call is a loud, rolling churr, less
Red-bellied Woodpecker Read More »
Blackbacks are northern birds that inhabit bogs and burned over areas where they forage on dead and dying trees, flaking away the bark in search on insects. They are resident throughout the boreal forests of Canada and small numbers are found in the extreme northern United States. Most of the time they are quiet and
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