North Carolina USA - Downy vs Hairy (1 Viewer)

[Fandango739]

1 -2 Same bird. Downy or hybrid? There are spots on the right side of the tail, but the spots to the left are very faint. Is the feather a fluke?
3 - 5 Same bird, but I don't think it is the same as the first. (They were seen near the same location, a riverside park.) I know Hairy are listed for the area, but I have never seen one in the area. The tail on this bird seems to lack all spots, so Hairy?

I just want to be sure.

Many thanks!

 

[Butty]

All downy woodpeckers - dinky little bill. I only use the tail-pattern as a last resort when bill-size seems equivocal - but here it's clear-cut.

 

[qwerty5]

Agreed, it's very easy to miss the spots on a Downy's tail.

 

[KC Foggin]

All Downy for me