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Hairy or Downy Woodpecker (1 Viewer)

49bentley

Well-known member
Canada
Can someone please confirm this to be a Hairy Woodpecker? The angle of the shot is fooling me. Taken is Sep in Ste-Adele Quebec.
Thanks
Chris
 

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I’m thinking Downy, mainly on the small size of the bill.
 
Looks very clearly a Hairy to me, large bill, lack of black barring on the visible white outer retrices. This shouldn't be controversial unless I'm particularly blind today.
 
It’s a hairy. Large bill, foreshortening effect going on due to angle, but nonetheless large. No black spots on outter tail feathers as shown by downy.
 
Yeah, Hairy for me too. What usually works, after a little experience, in deciding whether the bill is "large" or not is to look at the fluff at the base of the bill. On a Downy, you'll find yourself peering at the gape area, trying to decide where the fluff ends, so you can get a precise idea of how long the bill is in proportion to the fluff. With a Hairy, even though the proportions aren't actually very much different, you'll take one look and go "oh, that's sticking out WAY more than the length of the fluff."
 
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