However, this trait won’t help you tell Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers apart. But adult females do not have a red spot. Male Downy Woodpeckers have a small red patch on the nape of their necks. Do All Downy Woodpeckers Have a Red Spot? Hairy Woodpeckers are part of the Leuconotopicus genus, while Downy Woodpeckers are part of the Dryobates genus. However, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers each belong to different genera, and the Picidae family has 35 genera. They share common behaviors such as their namesake, “wood pecking,” cavity-nesting, and communicating by drumming their beaks on wood. There are 240 species in the Picidae family. There are also several other types of birds in the Picidae family: piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. These birds are separate species but belong to the same family, the Picidae, which includes all woodpeckers. It’s possible that Downy Woodpeckers evolved to look similar to the bigger and tougher Hairy Woodpeckers to help them intimidate other birds and hold on to resources like food and territory.Īn earlier study suggested that Downy Woodpeckers may be trying to avoid aggression from Hairy Woodpeckers by fitting in with them–a type of social camouflage.īut scientists aren’t convinced that Hairy Woodpeckers are deceived by the Downy’s “disguise” because Hairys still frequently target Downys for aggression. Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are actually not all that closely related, even though they look very similar. Are Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers Closely Related? Hairy Woodpeckers have fewer white stripes and more black marks in this area. It’s one of the noticeable differences.įamed bird guide illustrator David Sibley offers an additional helpful hint: Downy Woodpeckers have a larger white patch that’s visible on the sides of their necks. Hairy Woodpeckers have white outer tail feathers without spots. You can see it more readily if the curious bird is perching with its profile toward you. The outer tail feathers of a Downy Woodpecker are spotted, although that’s not an easy detail to catch. They are perfect for pecking tree trunks and dead trees. It looks shorter and more delicate than the beaks of other woodpecker species. The Downy Woodpecker’s bill is only about ⅓ the size of its head. A Hairy Woodpecker has a very long-looking bill that is about equal in length to the size of its head. That translates to a Hairy Woodpecker being 7-10 inches long, while a Downy Woodpecker is only about 5 to 7 inches long.Īnother key difference is the bird’s beak size relative to its head. A Hairy Woodpecker is a species of woodpecker that is a third and a half larger than a Downy Woodpecker. The major difference between a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker is their size. Why is a woodpecker “hairy” anyway? We’ll answer all your most frequently asked woodpecker questions in this Hairy vs Downy Woodpecker throwdown! What Is the Difference Between Hairy vs Downy Woodpecker? How do you tell these brothers from another mother apart? Why do they look so similar? Are these woodpeckers a rare sight? We just know with confidence that we have the yellow-shafted subspecies group.If ever a pair of birds could make you get deja vu, it’s these two: the Hairy Woodpecker and the Downy Woodpecker! Nope, it’s not a glitch in the Matrix: these bird cousins can fool the eye.Ī Downy Woodpecker looks like a Hairy Woodpecker’s smaller twin brother–and since the size is relative when you’re at a distance, that trait doesn’t always help either. Since the two subspecies interbred in this range overlap, often confirming a subspecies ID is rather impractical from a casual birding standpoint. (See maps in carousel below.) The yellow-shafted flickers have yellow flight feathers as well as slightly different colors and patterning body compared to the red-shafted flickers.Īround the DMV we live on a range overlap between two northern flicker subspecies: The northern yellow-shafted flicker ( Colaptes auratus luteus) and the southeastern yellow-shafted flicker ( Colaptes auratus auratus.) The two subspecies are essentially identical in appearance though the northern yellow-shafted flicker is a bit larger. The red-shafted subspecies group is westerly with a zone of introgression/hybridization between them. Out here on the East Coast we only get the yellow-shafted subspecies group. Typically a mature northern flicker seen around the DMV will be slightly bigger than a blue jay. To tell males from females just note that males will have a dark whisker on the head while females lack this feature. Great features to examine are the tannish backside with black barring, the spotted breast, a red mark on the nape, and a black bib. Whether a northern flicker is drumming ( the act of beating its bill repeatedly against a tree) or making loud calls in the canopy, these loud communications echo throughout the woods. You’ll often hear a northern flicker before you see one.
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