Thoughts and Stories

Downy or Hairy? (December 19, 2007)

It's common for even experienced birders to make errors when determining whether a woodpecker is a downy or a hairy woodpecker. They look strikingly similar and from a distance are hard to tell apart. They also both frequently show up in backyard feeders and are not difficult to spot. They have nearly identical basic field marks and even though size is a major distinguishing factor, it's not easy to tell size from a distance. I've made the error plenty of times of thinking a downy looked large enough to be a hairy woodpecker only to discover that it was, without question, a downy.

Here's what I've found to be the biggest distinguishing factor between the two: the size of the beak in the hairy woodpecker is considerably longer than that of the downy: notice that the hairy woodpecker (pictured on the right) has a beak that's almost as long as its head. The hairy's beak, on the other hand, is not nearly as long as its head.

As you can see from the picture shown (it's a composite of two photos-- the hairy would be a bit larger than the downy in real life), this is a fairly clear difference, even if not always easy to spot.

Also, this side by side photo should make things clear as well: