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Hairy woodpecker

Photo by MarilynC
Published on Project Noah
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43.5903, -79.5281

Field Notes

Description:

Black and white woodpecker. White underside with black and white wings, head and tail. No red marking on the back or crown of the head, which suggests this bird is a female.

Habitat:

Seen on a tree on a residential street that runs along the shore of Lake Ontario.

Notes:

Hairy woodpeckers are very similar to Downy woodpeckers. with two of the main differences being that Hairys are larger and have a larger bill (when compared to the size of the bird's head).

When I saw this woodpecker I thought it was the larger of the two, but looking at my own photos I'm not sure that the bill is really large enough for it to be a Hairy.

I've named it as a Hairy for now, but I'm not confident enough in my ID to list it by scientific name. Anyone who can weigh in is welcome. :)

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (1)

This is a female Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens; the short bill, shoulder spur, and tail markings all point to Downy.
Photographed
PublishedMay 31, 2014

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