Most of us in the US have the opportunity to see both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers at our backyard feeders. But it is devilishly difficult to tell them apart without the right field marks. Consider these BirdCam photos, one of a male of each species. The classic method used distinguishes the birds on the basis of their bills. The Hairy has one as long as the width of its head, the Downy only half that long. And if you can compare against a common yardstick you can discern that the Hairy is a larger bird (typically 6-7 cm longer.) Still stumped? can't see those marks? If you can see the outer tail feathers, the Downy's will have black spots in most cases, the Hairy pure white. In the end, in case of doubt, the viewer should err on the side of Downy. I have found them at my feeders thirteen times more often than Hairys. In time one gets a feel for which is which and can quickly distinguish. But it is one of our toughest backyard ID challenges.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Distinguishing Downy from Hairy
Most of us in the US have the opportunity to see both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers at our backyard feeders. But it is devilishly difficult to tell them apart without the right field marks. Consider these BirdCam photos, one of a male of each species. The classic method used distinguishes the birds on the basis of their bills. The Hairy has one as long as the width of its head, the Downy only half that long. And if you can compare against a common yardstick you can discern that the Hairy is a larger bird (typically 6-7 cm longer.) Still stumped? can't see those marks? If you can see the outer tail feathers, the Downy's will have black spots in most cases, the Hairy pure white. In the end, in case of doubt, the viewer should err on the side of Downy. I have found them at my feeders thirteen times more often than Hairys. In time one gets a feel for which is which and can quickly distinguish. But it is one of our toughest backyard ID challenges.
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