Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) vs. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) Identification
Hairy Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers are common visitors in my yard, in New England, and throughout much of the United States. They are found as far north as Alaska and Canada and south to Central America. They primarily live in forests. They have also adapted to suburban areas as well as long as there is an abundance of trees around. like most woodpeckers, the hairy Woodpecker eats insects that it finds in the back or digs out of the wood of trees. They are also attracted to suet feeders and bird feeders containing nuts or peanuts.
Size Difference between Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
The Hairy Woodpecker is often seen in the same areas as the similar Downy Woodpecker. They can be difficult to tell apart at first glance. If you see them side by side, the Hairy Woodpecker is larger, measuring as much as 10 inches long to the tip of the tail. The Downy Woodpecker, on the hand, only reaches about 6.75" long.
Beak Length Difference between Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers
The bill of the Hairy Woodpecker is also quite a bit longer than the shorter bill of the Downy Woodpecker. If the beak of the hairy Woodpecker is just about the same length as its head, while the Downy Woodpecker's beak is less than half the length of its head. In the video of the Hairy Woodpecker below, taken in my yard, you can see the length of the beak compared to the length of the head. This is perhaps an easier way to identify whether the bird is a Hairy or Downy Woodpecker when you don't have both together to compare overall size.
Hairy Woodpecker searching for food in a birch tree.
Pecking Rhythm Difference Between Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers
Notice the rhythm and speed of the pecking in the video as well. The hairy Woodpecker tends to have a slower "drumbeat" than the Downy Woodpecker. This can be difficult to determine if you only have one of these two pecking and can't compare them directly, but the Downy Woodpecker's pecking is often so fast that you can't even count the individual beats.
Both of these two woodpecker species are black and white with a white stripe down the middle of their back. In both species, if you see a red patch on the back of the head, then you know that it's a male bird.
Woodpecker Diet
While both are largely insectivores, they will eat nuts and other foods high in fats. They search out calorie dense foods like suet, peanut butter, or nuts when visiting backyard bird feeders. They use their sharp pointed toes to cling to vertical surfaces and will even hang upside down in order to reach food sources. They use their tails to brace themselves against that surface to give them leverage to peck forcefully into the wood and bark of a tree.
Taxonomy of Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
You will notice from the title of this post that these two woodpeckers are not only different species, but also different genera. Despite their very similar appearance and behaviors, they are not that closely related. You have to go all the way back to Family classification find common lineage.
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