Meet the Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus

By Rebecca Thompson, Manager of Academic Programs

Hairy woodpeckers are commonly found in mature forests. They frequent suburbs, parks and cemeteries with medium to large trees. Their black and white color patterns are easily recognizable and sometimes can be mistaken for downy woodpeckers. Hairy woodpeckers, however, are larger and have longer beaks. Hairy woodpeckers also spend more time on trunks or larger branches, while downy woodpeckers stay on smaller branches or even cattails, grasses and sedges.

Insects make up 75% of hairy woodpeckers’ diet. They primarily eat wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, beetles, moth pupae and caterpillars. They forage for insects by probing the trunk or limb, scaling off the bark of a tree and excavating the deadwood. Males usually work longer on one spot than females. Twenty-five percent of their diet includes berries, seeds and nuts. In the winter, they are familiar visitors at backyard bird feeders, eating sunflower seeds and suet.

During the breeding season, hairy woodpeckers frequent large tracks of forest. They maintain territories in winter and will frequently pair back up with their mate from the last breeding season. In May, they can be seen showing off an elaborate courting display. They circle a tree trunk flicking their wings, stretching their necks, pointing their bills up high while they are bobbing their heads from side to side. Courtship includes both sexes drumming in duet. Both sexes select a nest site from the female’s territory and excavate it together.

Less than two weeks before egg laying, nesting cavities are excavated in a dead or dying deciduous tree. Cavities are 4 to 60 feet above the ground. They are often in a branch that is not perfectly vertical with the entrance hole so they can keep flying squirrels and sapsuckers from using the cavity. The entrance is approximately 2 inches by 1.5 inches wide. The cavity can be 8 to 12 inches deep. The bottom widens and is generally bare except for a few woodchips.

Hairy woodpeckers have one brood — set of young — per breeding season. Females lay three to six glossy white eggs. Females incubate eggs during the day and males at night for 14 days. Both parents tend to the young. Young leave the nest 28 to 30 days after hatching. Both parents continue to feed the fledglings for 2 weeks after leaving the nest.

Hairy woodpeckers are widespread. According to the North American Breeding Bird survey, their populations increased between 1966 and 2015. Despite the population increase, forest fragmentation is a threat to local populations. Hairy woodpeckers and other woodpeckers help control tree pests, including bark beetles. Conserving large tracks of forested land not only helps hairy woodpeckers but also helps maintain the health of the forest ecosystem.

WINGSPAN: 14-16 inches

DESCRIPTION: Black and white overall; checkered wings; large black stripe through the eyes. Males red patch toward the back of the head; bill as long as the head. RANGE: Year-long residents from northern Canada to the southern United States.

CALL: Short, sharp “Peek”; whinny sound that does not descend

BEST LOCATION TO VIEW:

Holden Arboretum: Woodland Trail Garden: Woodland

Botanical Garden: Wade Oval

MEET THE STAFF

Rebecca Thompson is the Academic Programs Manager at Holden Forests & Gardens and has dedicated her career (1999 – present) to school-aged children and life-long learners.Her enthusiasm for the natural world has kindled a sense of exploration, discovery and a deeper appreciation for the environment. Her passion for bird watching drove her to become a self-taught local bird expert. She has served as President on local boards, including Blackbrook Audubon Society and Cleveland Regional Council of Science Teachers.