By Sally Siko

Check out these little guys, a Hairy Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker 
I spotted both species while birding here in central North Carolina.
At first glance, Hairy Woodpeckers (pic 1) look nearly identical to a Downy (pic 2) yet are a few differences that can help you figure out what you’re looking at.

The first big clue is size.
Hairy Woodpeckers are around 9 inches long and weigh 3x as much as the Downy making them noticeably larger in size when comparing the two.


The second clue is that the Hairy Woodpeckers bill is as long as it’s slightly elongated head vs. the Downy who’s got a comparatively shorter bill size paired with a rounder head.


The third clue is habitat.
 Although the range and habitat preferences of the Hairy Woodpecker generally overlap that of the Downy, the Hairy is a slightly shyer bird which spends more of it’s time in the deep woods vs. our backyards. That being said, they may be enticed to visit your feeders if you offer up suet during the winter months.



Measuring a diminutive 6 inches in size, Downy Woodpeckers (pic 2) are North America’s smallest species of Woodpecker.
These feisty little ones are found throughout most of North America with a range that stretches all the way from Alaska down to Florida.
 It lives in a variety of habitats from deep wilderness hardwood forests to suburban backyards and city parks.
 Here in the Tarheel State, Downys are also a familiar year round visitor to our bird feeders which is why they occasionally may be mistaken for their larger cousin, the Hairy Woodpecker.



Whichever of these sweet little black and white feathered gems may be, it’s always a treat for me to see them racing up and down the tree trunks in search of a meal.
Aren’t they gorgeous?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5