Hairy or Downy - Identifying two similar woodpeckers (1 Viewer)

[JoeGBirder]

Hey, new birders. If you have a feeder, and live in or near a wooded area, you probably have Hairy and Downy woodpeckers. And, you're not alone if you have trouble telling the difference. They almost have identical plumage, but there are a couple things that make it pretty easy to tell them apart. First of all, Downy are much more common at feeders. You will see Hairy Woodpeckers, but more often in the woods, as they are outnumbered by the downy. Second, Downy woodpeckers are much smaller. They're about 6 inches, while the downy is about 9. To put that into perspective, the Downy is around the size of a House Sparrow, but the Hairy is around the size of a Robin (a little bit smaller.) I hope this helped identify them from eachother. Have a nice day!

(Left: Hairy, Right: Downy)

 

[savvy2210]

The bill length should also be noted. On the downy roughly half the width of the head, as the photo above shows

 

[KC Foggin]

A great comparison illustration WPM!!