hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION:

• Length: 7.5 inches

• Medium-sized black and white woodpecker

• Fairly long bill

• Mostly black head set off by broad white supercilium and lower bor-         der to auriculars

• Black nape

• White back

• Black wings with white spotting on coverts and flight feathers

• White underparts

• Black rump

• Black tail with white outer tail feathers

• Significant racial variation can result in juveniles with barred outer tail   feathers (Queen Charlotte Islands), juveniles with barred backs and          flanks (Maritime provinces) and birds with brown feathering replacing          the black (Pacific Northwest).

Adult male:

• Red spot at rear of head

Similar species:

Other black and white woodpeckers such as ladder-backed, Strickland's,

red-cockaded and Nuttall's have shorter bills, barred backs, and patterning

on the chests. Black-backed woodpecker is easily distinguished by the

darker face, black back, and barred flanks. Three-toed woodpecker is best distinguished by the darker face and barred flanks, since some races can

have white backs. In the Maritimes juvenile hairy woodpeckers can more

closely resemble three-toed woodpeckers and it is best to concentrate on differences in facial pattern and bill size when identifying birds in this area.
Similarly, juvenile hairy woodpeckers on the Queen Charlotte Islands can

have barred outer tail feathers and such birds should be carefully separated

from downy woodpeckers by their larger size and larger bills. Downy

woodpecker is most similar, and differs only in its smaller size, proportion-

ally smaller bill, barred outer tail feathers, and different call.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status: Permanent resident
Breeding Habitat: Woodland
Nest Location: N/A
Nest Type: Cavity
Clutch Size: 3-6
Length of Incubation: 11-15 days
Days to Fledge: (24?-)28-30
Number of Broods: 1
Diet: Primarily insects; lesser quantities of fruit

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May U
      Su - Summer: June, July, August U
      Fall: September, October, November U

      Winter: December, January, February U

 

 

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