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Birdaday Field Notes

ID comparison

Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: how to tell them apart

Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are the only common North American woodpeckers with a vertical white stripe down the back, and males of both have a red patch on the back of the head (Project FeederWatch). Both are widespread in North America and commonly visit feeders for suet (FeederWatch). Their plumage is nearly identical, yet the two are not closely related; Wikipedia describes the likeness as convergent evolution. This page is the side-by-side reference. For the Downy's own food and nesting details, see the Downy Woodpecker profile.

The three marks that settle most birds

1. Bill: Downy's is about one-third the distance from bill base to back of head; Hairy's is about that whole distance (FeederWatch).

2. Outer tail feathers, seen from below: black bars or spots on a Downy; plain white on most eastern Hairies (FeederWatch).

3. Size: Downy about 6.5 in, Hairy about 9.25 in, roughly robin-sized (FeederWatch, Cornell Bird Academy).

Male Downy Woodpecker clinging to a wire-mesh suet feeder: black-and-white striped head with a red patch at the back, a short pointed bill much shorter than the head, white underparts and black wings with rows of white spots Hairy Woodpecker clinging upright to a tree trunk in side view: long straight dark bill nearly as long as the head, black-and-white striped face, black line running from the neck down the side of the white breast, black wings with white spots
Left: male Downy Woodpecker at a suet feeder, Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Quebec (February 2010); the bill is much shorter than the head. Right: Hairy Woodpecker, Saint-Camille, Quebec (April 2010); the bill is nearly as long as the head, and black runs from the neck onto the side of the breast (FeederWatch, Cornell). Both are Quality images on Wikimedia Commons; species and sex as given on each file page.
Photos: Cephas / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cephas / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Field-mark comparison table

Field mark Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker
Length 5.5–6.7 in (Cornell); 5–7 in (Audubon) 7.1–10.2 in (Cornell, Audubon)
Weight 0.7–1.0 oz (Cornell, Audubon) 1.4–3.4 oz (Cornell, Audubon)
Wingspan 9.8–11.8 in (Cornell, Audubon) 13.0–16.1 in (Cornell, Audubon)
Bill Shorter than the head (Bird Academy); about one-third of it (FeederWatch, Audubon magazine); "almost thornlike" (Cornell) About as long as the head (Bird Academy, FeederWatch); nearly as long (Cornell, Audubon)
Outer tail feathers White with black bars or a few black spots; bars show best from below and can look white from above (FeederWatch, Cornell) Completely white in most of the eastern US; some Pacific and Newfoundland birds have black bars (FeederWatch, Bird Academy)
Black "comma" from shoulder onto breast Fainter, poorly defined or absent (FeederWatch, Bird Academy) Well developed, reaching onto the breast (FeederWatch, Bird Academy)
Male's red patch Small patch on the back of the head (Cornell) Often split in two (Audubon magazine)
Young birds Juveniles have red on the cap (Cornell) Juvenile males have a red crown patch instead of a nape patch (Cornell)
Common call Sharp pik (Cornell); quiet pik (Audubon) Sharp peek, slightly lower and often more emphatic (Cornell); louder than the Downy's (Audubon)
Whinny or rattle Hoarse, high notes that drop in pitch toward the end, about 2 seconds (Cornell) Similar but does not drop at the end (Cornell); "a loud rattle on a single pitch" (Audubon)
Drumming Very rapid, steady strikes that almost blend into one sound (Cornell) Rapid and evenly paced, about 1 second and about 26 beats (Cornell)
Where it feeds Anything from trunks to twigs and weed stalks, often acrobatic, sometimes upside down (Audubon); males favor small branches and weed stems, females larger limbs and trunks (Cornell) Trunks and main branches; sometimes tree bases, logs or the ground; more pounding and excavating (Cornell, Audubon)
Habitat Open deciduous woodland, weedy edges, orchards, parks and yards (Cornell) Forests, woodlands and shade trees, as long as large trees are present; less likely in suburbs and city parks (Audubon). Cornell's list also includes suburbs, parks and cemeteries
Abundance "Much more abundant," especially in suburbia (Audubon magazine) Usually less common than the Downy, especially in the East (Audubon)
Population estimate 13,000,000 (Audubon) 8,900,000 (Audubon)
Range Most of the US and Canada; absent from southwestern deserts and northern tundra (Wikipedia) Alaska and Canada south through Mexico and Central America to western Panama, plus the Bahamas (Wikipedia, Audubon); in Central America only in higher mountain forests (Cornell)

How much bigger is a Hairy?

Sources differ. Cornell says the Hairy is about a third larger, and that the Downy is about two-thirds the Hairy's size. Audubon magazine's 2015 guide calls the Hairy almost 50 percent taller, about a 3-inch difference. FeederWatch's averages (6.5 vs 9.25 in) differ by 2.75 inches. Cornell's length ranges for the two do not overlap; Audubon's Downy range (5–7 in) comes within a tenth of an inch of the Hairy's minimum.

Bill-to-head ratio and length ranges of Downy and Hairy WoodpeckersTop: two simplified woodpecker heads facing left, drawn the same size so that only proportions are compared. Under each head a gauge runs from the base of the bill to the back of the head, divided into thirds. The Downy's bill reaches one third of the gauge; the Hairy's bill is as long as the whole gauge. The Hairy head shows its red patch split in two. Bottom: length ranges on a 0 to 11 inch scale. Downy 5.5 to 6.7 inches per Cornell and 5 to 7 inches per Audubon; Hairy 7.1 to 10.2 inches per Cornell and Audubon. White diamonds mark FeederWatch averages of 6.5 and 9.25 inches. DownyHairy 0246810 in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
  1. Downy bill: about one-third the distance from bill base to the back of the head (FeederWatch; Audubon magazine).
  2. Hairy bill: about that whole distance (FeederWatch, Bird Academy); "nearly as long" as the head in Cornell's and Audubon's field guides.
  3. The gauge: bill base to back of head, ticked in thirds; the red line under each head is the bill.
  4. Hairy male's red patch: often split in two (Audubon magazine). The Downy male has a small red patch on the back of the head (Cornell).
  5. Downy length: 5.5–6.7 in (Cornell). White diamond: FeederWatch average, 6.5 in.
  6. Downy length: 5–7 in (Audubon field guide).
  7. Hairy length: 7.1–10.2 in (Cornell, Audubon). White diamond: FeederWatch average, 9.25 in.
Drawn for Birdaday Field Notes as generic woodpecker shapes, following Project FeederWatch, Cornell's All About Birds and Bird Academy, and Audubon, cited below. The two heads are drawn the same size to compare proportions and are not to scale; the length bars (5–7) are drawn to scale on the inch axis.

Bill-to-head check, step by step

  1. Wait for a side view. A woodpecker usually faces the tree, which hides the bill (Audubon magazine).
  2. Measure by eye from the bill base to the back of the head. If the bill covers about a third of that, it is a Downy; if it covers about all of it, a Hairy (FeederWatch). A bill that looks much smaller than the head's width points to Downy (FeederWatch).
  3. Look under the tail. Completely white undersides of the outer tail feathers confirm a Hairy. Bars alone do not prove a Downy, because some Hairies are barred (FeederWatch).
  4. Check the side of the breast. Black reaching from the neck or shoulder onto the upper breast supports Hairy (FeederWatch).
  5. Judge size against something fixed. Audubon magazine compares the pair to a teaspoon and a tablespoon: obvious up close, much less so at 40 feet or more, so use nearby leaves and branches. Some FeederWatch participants measured their feeders or marked lengths on a peanut feeder.
  6. Listen. A whinny that drops in pitch at the end is a Downy; a Hairy's stays level (Cornell).

Regional forms

Cornell notes that Downies show the same regional patterns as Hairies, so a dark western bird can be either; check the bill and tail, not the tone. Northern Hairies also tend to be larger than southern ones (Cornell).

Region Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker
East White below (Cornell) White below, heavily spotted wings (Cornell); outer tail all white (FeederWatch)
Rocky Mountains and the West Darker, with less white in the wings (Cornell, Audubon) Mostly black wings with less spotting and narrower face stripes (Cornell)
Pacific Northwest and coast Dusky wash (Cornell); dingy brownish-gray below on the Pacific coast (Cornell) Brown and black, "coffee-stained," brownish below (Cornell); outer tail may be barred (FeederWatch)
Newfoundland — Outer tail may be barred (FeederWatch, Bird Academy)
Central America Not present (range is the US and Canada, per Wikipedia) Higher mountain forests only (Cornell); cinnamon underparts in Costa Rica (Cornell)

Behavior and habitat

The two often share territory. Cornell says the Downy favors smaller branches while the Hairy spends more time on trunks. Audubon adds that the Hairy does more pounding and excavating than most smaller woodpeckers, and that Downies often join winter flocks of chickadees and nuthatches.

Audubon magazine says the Hairy prefers tall trees and deeper woods, while the Downy will use young birches and even cattails.

Other look-alikes

FeederWatch notes that Downy and Hairy are the only common woodpeckers with a vertical white back stripe. Cornell lists these five as further look-alikes; lengths and marks are from each species' Cornell identification page.

Species Length How it differs Where
American Three-toed Woodpecker 8.3–9.1 in Messy white barring on a black back; fine black bars on the flanks; male has a yellow crown patch Disturbed conifer forests of the West and North
Red-cockaded Woodpecker 7.9–9.1 in Ladder-barred back; large white cheek patch Southeastern pine forests, especially longleaf
Nuttall's Woodpecker 6.3–7.1 in Narrow black-and-white bars across the back California oak woodlands
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6.3–7.1 in Back barred like ladder rungs; buffy face Arid Southwest deserts and pinyon-juniper
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 7.1–8.7 in Long white stripe on the folded wing; red forehead; black chest shield Hardwood and conifer forests; open woodland in winter

Mistakes to avoid

For your Bird-a-Day streak

They are two species, so two separate days. The Downy is the easier backup bird in most yards. The Hairy is usually less common, especially in the East, and needs larger trees (Audubon), so it may take a walk in the woods. Log it in the streak tracker; practice the four ID keys in bird identification basics. Both come to suet.

Sources