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Hairy Woodpecker - (Picoides
villosus)
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Last September a hairy woodpecker
stopped by for a peanutty snack from the
birch log feeder in our front yard.
Because of the protective canopy of the
large maple tree, we had the bird cam on
most of the day. The rain and fog from
the motion camera captured an interesting
ghost-like image. |
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(On Left)
Spring - Hairy woodpecker
enjoying his peanut treat from a
homemade log cut and drilled for
a backyard feeder.
(On Right)
Summer - Baby hairy has
been trained to come to the
feeders to get his own suet. Mom
and Dad must be relieved. |
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(On Left)
Autumn - The crisp fallen leaves
often hide suet and seeds, but
don't cover the small pond
entirely...yet.
(On Right)
Winter - The seed cylinder is
rapidly disappearing in the cold
weather. The dome helps protect
the food and the birds from the
ice and snow. |
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March
22, 2009 - Food Guy mounted the new nesting box
that is made for any of three different
woodpeckers, the red-bellied, hairy , or
red-headed woodpecker. The first two kinds
of woodpeckers are frequent visitors to our
backyard trees and feeders. A number of
professional sources differ about the limits for
the red-headed fellow from: not seen, to rarely
seen, to nesting, to year-round resident in our
area. We are hoping to see the red-headed
woodpecker in our yard. If nothing else, we look
forward to our new birdhouse being put to good
use.
This nesting box comes with
wood chips to spread in the bottom to simulate
the bird actually excavating the cavity in a
tree and a start to the nest. The metal plate
keeps larger birds from making the entrance hole
bigger.
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As
novice bird watchers, we had to learn quickly
the differences between the hairy and the downy
woodpeckers. The larger overall size was how we
realized that two similar woodpeckers actually
were in our backyard (often on the trees and
feeders at the same time).
Next rule of thumb,
or beak, is another easy way to tell- the length
of a downy beak is half the width of his head
and the hairy beak equals at least the width
of his head. No need for rulers or
geometric equations, just plain observation.
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The hairy woodpecker has a lower call and
drums louder and faster than the downy (just
need a good ear for the distinction).
Hard to see at a glance, but
the hairy woodpecker outer
tail is white , while downy has white with dark
spots or bars on his tail feathers.
The clump of feathers at the base of the beak
is to protect the woodpecker's nostrils from any
wood dust or chips. Their names refer to
the appearance of these feathers- similar to
hair or to down.
The hairy woodpecker is more likely to scoot
up a tree and fly away from human feeder
fillers. Downys are friendlier and wait to
see what treats we brought them.
We are very pleased to be able to offer trees
(old, young, alive and dead) and feeders filled
with peanut products to our faithful year-round
woodpeckers.
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Size:
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Length: 8.5-9.5 in
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Weight: 2.3 oz |
Wingspan: 15 in |
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ID:
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Male: White back and under
parts;
black wings with broken white bars;
black cheeks and crown; bright red patch
on back of head divided by black,
vertical line; feathered nostrils (help
filter out sawdust); mostly black tail
with three white outermost feathers;
dark gray beak (almost as long as the
head); gray feet zygodactylous (feet
with two toes forward and two facing
back)
Female: Same as male but no red patch
on head
Juvenile: Grayer than female but both
sexes have mottled red on their
foreheads.
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Habitat:
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Woodlands and suburban gardens,
parklands, orchards and forests
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Diet:
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Insects, seeds, nuts and berries;
visits feeders for suet, peanut products
and sunflower seeds
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous (Some
have kept same partner for at least 4
years); solitary nester; 1 brood per
year
Local Breeding Period: Late May
Nests: Excavated cavity in live tree
trunk; built by both male and female;
leaves wood chips in bottom of hole
Eggs: 3-6 plain white eggs;
incubation 11-15 days by female during
the day and male at night
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
28-30 days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Roost in cavities at night; both male
and female drum on trunks, poles,
buildings to announce territorial rights
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Range:
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Southern half of Alaska and Canada;
most of US and Panama
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Vocalization:
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Loud, rapid, one pitch whinny; call a
sharp peek; wicki,wicki,wicki; rattle
call sharp and high
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| Lifespan: |
At least 16 years |
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