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Hairy Woodpecker

  
Photo courtesy Jerry Friedman

Description:

The Hairy Woodpecker has black-and-white upperparts and white underparts. The head has a red hindcrown patch. The Tail is black with white outer tail feathers. The Hairy Woodpeckers in the Northwest have gray-brown breast, belly, and rump. The female bird and juvenile birds are similar but lack the red patch on the heads.

Size:    9.5” (24 cm) 

Voice:    The Hairy Woodpeckers has a king-fisher-like rattle, and the call note is a sharp Peek!  

Distribution & Habitat
You will find the Hairy Woodpecker in forests, woodlots, willows, river groves, orchards, shade trees in Alaska, Canada to Panama. 

Feeding Habits
The Hairy Woodpecker uses it’s bill to drill into trees to dig out insects such as beetles, wasps, moths and insect larvae. It also eats berries, sunflower seeds and comes to suet feeders. 

Breeding & Nesting Habits
Hairy Woodpeckers form monogamous breeding pairs in late winter (and pairs from previous seasons often re-pair). Both members of the pair nest in rotten wood in aspens or dead conifers, or in wooden woodpecker houses.    Both parents incubate approximately 3 – 6 white eggs for about 11-12 days and both parents feed the young. The young leave the nest after 28 to 30 days and follow the parents around for some time thereafter. Each pair of Hairy Woodpeckers typically raises one brood each year.

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