Like many other species of birds in the avian world, certain woodpeckers have doppelgangers or look-alikes in their close neighborhood. Take the downy and the hairy woodpeckers, for instance. They look so similar, bird watchers are worried they might confuse them as one.
When we compare downy vs hairy woodpecker however, we see a number of differences. The difference lies in the subtle spots and strips that decorate their fluffy exteriors. To know more about these two birds and their differences, let’s read further.
About Downy Woodpecker
Source: @nature_things11
Downy woodpeckers populate a large proportion of the United States. These beautiful black-and-white avians prefer to build their homes in forests, and not much in tundra or deserts. They have adapted to an omnivorous diet, and primarily feed on insects like ants and beetle larva that are pecked out of soft, rotting wood of oaks, maples and pines.
Downy and hairy woodpeckers may look similar but it is only because of convergent evolution, and not because they belong to the same genus. Earlier to 2015, downies were placed in the genera of Dendrocopos or Picoides, but later shifted to the genus Dryobates, birthing their scientific name Dryobates pubescens. This genus of woodpeckers has 7 subspecies.
About Hairy Woodpecker
Source: @davewayne105.7
Bearing the scientific name of Leuconotopicus villosus, where the term ‘villosus’ means ‘hairy’, these woodpeckers used to be classified into the genera Dendrocopos or Picoides previously. There are 17 subspecies of this genus, and hairy woodpeckers are one in the list. They are medium-sized and are found all over the United States.
Why are they called ‘hairy’ is a question that many woodpecker admirers ask. On their back, the white hair sticks out and gives an overall disheveled look, thus the term ‘hairy’. These birds are mostly black and white, with the males flaunting red patches at the back of the head. Digging out insects from rotting tree trunks is something they love to do.
Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: Similarities
One of the biggest dilemmas in the community of bird watchers is the striking similarities between the downy and the hairy woodpeckers. No, they do not belong to the same genus, although previously thought so, but later rectified. Scientists coined the reason for such uncanny similarity to be convergent evolution where the same features repeat over generations.
So, what is so similar about them? Their black and white appearance is what stands out as the main culprit. The black-and-white intermittent pattern on the flight wings, white chests and white backs, black shoulders and tails, are all at the same locations of both these birds. They even share red splotches on the back of their head. So, how do you tell them apart?
Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: Physical Differences
Upon close observation, the physical differences manifest. Take a look at their head shape– is it the same? What about the size and number of black spots on their white outer rectrices? They look similar, but are they? You will find out in a few seconds.
Overall Body Size
Downy woodpeckers are 5.5 to 7 inches long, and when they spread their wings, the span between the ends of the wings would measure from 9 to 12 inches. On the other hand, hairy woodpeckers are 7 to 10 inches long, with a wingspan of 13 to 17 inches. The difference is clear– hairy woodpeckers are longer, with much larger wings.
Additionally, downies are anywhere between 20 and 30 gm in weight, whereas hairy woodpeckers are much heavier, weighing between 40 and 100 gm. If you are lucky enough to have domesticated the two woodpeckers, just ask them to perch on your hands– you would know. When you place the two woodpeckers side-by-side, the difference is noticeable.
Head Shape
Upon closer inspection, a difference in the shape of the head between the two birds is notable. Hairy woodpeckers possess a larger head, and are more rounded in appearance. On the contrary, downy woodpeckers have smaller, puffier heads that are slightly flattened at the top.
Source: @birdsblooms, @newyorkcitywild
Marking Pattern On Head And Body
Beautiful black and white striped patterns cover the whole body of both the downy and the hairy woodpeckers. This is the biggest reason why the two birds look strikingly similar. Tiny dots and strips of black-and-white embellish their crowns, flight feathers and tails. However, there are nuances hidden in this chaos of these bars and specs that must be scrutinized.
Major differences lie in the red band present at the back of the head, and the coloration of their throat and belly regions. The rest of the body is quite similar. Shoulder and tail markings will be discussed in the next few segments.
Hairy Woodpeckers:
- Divided red band (with a cut in the middle) on the back of the head; this could appear as one big red mark as well
- Throat and belly could be white or blackish-brown
- Upperpart is mostly black
- Wings are mostly black with white spots
- White bar above and below the eye
- Plain white backs
Downy Woodpeckers:
- An undivided red band (without a cut in the middle) on the back of the head
- Throat and belly are plain white
- Upperpart is mostly black
- Wings are mostly black, with white spots or blotches
- One white bar runs above the eyes, and another runs below the eye, like an eye-ring
- Backs are plain white
Bill Size
Downy woodpeckers certainly have much smaller bills than hairy woodpeckers, and this feature could be visible even from a distance. Their bill is only one-third of the size of their head, and looks adorable and dainty. Downy woodpeckers have bristles or hair-tufts at the starting point of their beak (the part close to the face), which, when raised, the bill may look even smaller.
In contrast, hairy woodpeckers have an exaggerated version of a bill, so pointed in fact, that some compare it to a dagger! They are thick, compact and robust in appearance. Needless to say, the bill of a hairy woodpecker is almost equal to the length of its head. So, if you see a woodpecker that looks just like a downy woodpecker, look for a bill resembling a railroad spike.
Source: @nofenceswildlife
Tail Feathers
The tail feathers that help in a bird’s flight are called rectrice feathers. Outer rectrice feathers of the two birds in question are milk-white in color, except one may have spots on them, the other may not. It is the spots or stripes present on the rectrice feathers of the two birds that help to differentiate between them.
Downy woodpeckers have black markings on their outer rectrice feathers. On the contrary, hairy woodpeckers rarely have any black spots or stripes on the outer tail feathers. However, these differences are typical, and may differ with geographical locations and breeding times.
Spur
Hairy woodpeckers have a very interesting feature present on their shoulders that is completely missing in downy woodpeckers, and that is a collar-marking or a spur. Hairy woodpeckers have black markings on either side of their shoulder that resembles the collar of a T-shirt. However, downy woodpeckers lack that feature.
Females
The females of both hairy woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers lack the red ribbon at the back of their head. It is completely absent in the females, either in complete banded form or divided.
Also, female hairy woodpeckers do not have as many white markings on their black wings as their male counterparts do. Additionally, they have cream underparts compared to a male’s milky white underparts.
Fledglings
The young ones of both the hairy woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers bear a red coloration on their cap, and not on the backs of their heads as their male parents do. Juvenile hairy woodpeckers cap coloration could be either red or orange-red. Also, hairy woodpecker fledglings do not have a black spur making them look like downy woodpeckers.
Lifespan
Median lifespan of downy woodpeckers is between 1 and 2 years only, and if a downy woodpecker lives for about 5 years, it is considered as a very mature woodpecker. However, this is not an average measurement, and it has been found in some recaptured banded downy woodpeckers that they can survive for some 9 to 11 years.
Hairy woodpeckers, in contrast, can live for about 15 years, though it is not typical. Hairy woodpeckers in the wild may live for a shorter period of time than domesticated ones.
Hairy vs Downy Woodpecker: Behavioral Differences
Hairy and downy woodpeckers behave differently too. Their calls may sound the same, but the tone and the pitch varies. Their drumming is not in the same pace. Red more to discover.
Vocalizations
Downy woodpeckers give out ‘pi-k’ calls, 4 calls in a row, with a 30-milliseconds gap between every call. They also produce rattle noises that resemble a ball that is bouncing. Hairy woodpeckers’ common calls are peek sounds too, the difference being that they are low-pitched when compared to the ‘pik’ calls of downy woodpeckers.
Downy woodpecker: Listen
Hairy Woodpecker: Listen
Source: @lyndonswildphotos
Drumming Style
All throughout the year, woodpeckers drum on tree trunks, which is the noise produced when they peck with their beaks on old, rotting tree-trunks for feeding, nesting or communication purposes. In the case of hairy woodpeckers, there are 26 beats in every drumming session and lasts for a second or two. They sometimes drum on metal surfaces too.
The drumming sessions of downy woodpeckers are similar in sound to those of hairy woodpeckers, but a little slower. Downy woodpeckers drum at a speed of 16 beats per second on average. Additionally, they also make slow and deliberate drum beats to attract mates.
Diet
Downy woodpeckers prefer both grains and insects. They like to gulp down larvae, ants, caterpillars, apple borers, and bark beetles that remain hidden inside the bark of trees. They also go for berries and acorns.
75% of a hairy woodpecker’s diet is also made up of insects, which is similar to the dietary preferences of downy woodpeckers. However, hairy woodpeckers can forage on larger insects that live deeper inside the bark layers. They also go for suet (animal fat) and sunflower seeds.
Nesting Behavior
Downy woodpeckers choose stubs that lean away from the vertical trunk to build their nests into. The trees they choose are deciduous mainly, and they are often rotten, thus making excavations easier. They lay 3 to 8 eggs per clutch in nests that are 6 to 12 inches deep.
Trees that are infected with heart-rot fungus are favorite places for the hairy woodpeckers
to build nests inside of. They choose a dead stub that faces away from the living tree. The cavity entrance is kept on the underside to keep away from sapsuckers and squirrels. The depth of the cavity is similar to that of downy woodpeckers. They lay 3 to 6 eggs per brood.
Contribution To The Ecosystem
Bark beetles cause infestations in crops and orchards, and their population can reach billions within a very short period of time if not kept in check. Thanks to downy and hairy woodpeckers– one of their favorite munchies is bark beetles.
Downy woodpeckers also aim at body parasites, for instance, muscid flies, blowflies and hippoboscid flies. Hairy woodpeckers aim at codling moths that affect the fruits in orchards.
Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: Habitat and Distribution
Hairy woodpeckers can be found in any place that has lots of trees in it, like woodlots, cemeteries, parks, suburbs, and of course woodlands and forests. They like elevations of about 6,500 feet, and mainly prefer mixed forests of conifers and deciduous trees.
Around 9 million hairy woodpeckers have found their home in North America, and are usually permanent residents or partial migratory avians. Northern and southern hairy woodpeckers show a number of variations among their subspecies.
Source: @pammandbobsadventures
Downy woodpeckers, on the other hand, prefer mainly deciduous forests to forage and nest in. They also like streams flowing nearby their chosen habitat. Open areas that contain fencerows and tall weeds are also places that are frequented by these woodpeckers.
In North America, there are about 14 million downy woodpeckers living, and they are partial migrators. Also, they do not fly long distances.
Hairy vs Downy Woodpecker: Interesting Facts
The fun facts about hairy and downy woodpeckers are endless. The deeper you dig, the yummier it gets! Turns out, drilling into rotting wood is not the only thing they do all day!
Downy Woodpecker
Downy woodpeckers have hair-like projections in and around their nostrils that protect them from breathing in wood-chips especially when they are pecking at rotting wood.
There is a spongy, elastic padding between their bill and skull that protects them from the shock of any hit or blow.
Hairy Woodpecker
When hairy woodpeckers are in an aggressive mood, they will lift their wings at an angle of 45 degrees, raise its head upwards, and give out shrill cries.
Hairy woodpeckers often follow pileated woodpeckers. After pileated woodpeckers have completed their excavation on a tree, the hairy woodpecker would pay a visit to that tree and find insects that the pileated woodpecker may have missed.
Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: Quick Reference Guide
Below is a list of the differences that we have come across within the article.
| Features | Hairy Woodpecker | Downy Woodpecker |
| Body Size | Heavier, longer | Smaller, light-weight |
| Head Shape | Larger, more rounded | Smaller, flatter |
| Marking | Divided red band at the back of their head; white or blackish-brown throat and chest | Undivided red band at the back of their head; white throat and chest |
| Tail | No black spots on the outer tail feathers | Black spots on the outer tail feathers |
| Beak | Long and large beak | Small beak |
| Spur | Present | Not present |
| Vocalization | High-pitched | Low-pitched |
| Drumming Style | Faster | Slower |
| Diet | Larger insects | Smaller insects |
| Nesting | Prefers mixed forests to build nests in | Prefers deciduous trees to build nests in |
FAQ
Questions about the differences between downy vs hairy woodpecker are never-ending. We hve tried to list out a few questions that might be of interest to you.
Q: Are downy woodpeckers rare?
Ans: No, downy woodpeckers are not rare at all. In fact, they are more in number than the hairy woodpeckers.
Q: Is there a close relation between downy and hairy woodpecker?
Ans: They belong to the same family ‘Picidae’ but their genera are different. They look similar due to convergent evolution.
Q: How do you tell a downy and hairy woodpecker apart?
Ans: The best way is to notice their overall body size and beak size. Hairy woodpeckers are much larger, and have a dagger-like beak. Whereas, the beaks of downy woodpeckers barely protrude out of their face.
Thoughts
Downy vs hairy woodpeckers– they look strikingly similar with the black and white patterns all over their body, belonging to the same family of birds. They live in similar habitats, eat the same kind of food, and even sound similar when they communicate among themselves. So how do you tell them apart?
The difference lies in the minute details. If you closely observe these two cousins, you will find that the intermittent patterns of black-and-white on their tail feathers is not the same.
Additionally, hairy woodpeckers have a complete red band at the back of their head, which is not the case with downy woodpeckers. Not to mention, the hairy woodpeckers are much larger with longer beaks. If you are lucky enough to ever spot the two avians drumming away at the same tree, do not miss out on the lovely opportunity to appreciate their unique beauty.
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