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Downy Woodpecker

Picoides pubescens

Photo by HeatherMiller
Published on Project Noah
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33.7748, -84.2963

Field Notes

Description:

Downy Woodpecker (6 3/4") tall, which is the size of the suet feeder he's on. Hairy Woodpeckers are (9 1/4") tall, which would probably place him hanging off the bottom of the feeder by 3 or so inches. Unless you have a larger than typical suet feeder. The two birds look identical, have the same range practically.

But, something I'm not good enough to tell yet - is the Downy Woodpecker has a bill that is "1/2 the depth of the head". While the Hairy Woodpecker has a much larger beak to head ration that is "more than 1/2 the depth of the head". In my bird book, Stokes Field Guide, the birds look identical but for the beak on the Hairy being nearly the size of the head.

Species ID Suggestions

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Photographed
PublishedFebruary 1, 2012

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