Species

Hairy woodpecker

Dryobates villosus

A larger, longer-billed version of the downy woodpecker, found in Georgia's mature woods.

Photo User:Mdf (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 18 to 26 cm long
Weight: About 40 to 95 g
Habitat: Mature woods and wooded suburbs
Diet: Insects, especially beetle larvae; seeds and fruit
In Georgia: An uncommon resident statewide
Voice: A sharp "peek" and a rattle
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: White back; black-and-white checked wings; long, chisel-like bill about as long as the head; males with a red patch on the back of the head
Told apart from: Downy woodpecker, which is smaller with a much shorter bill
Where to look: Tree trunks in mature woods; sometimes at feeders

Behaviour

Hairy woodpeckers dig for beetle larvae in dead wood and follow pileated woodpeckers to feed on insects exposed by their larger excavations.

Why they matter

Hairy woodpeckers are important predators of wood-boring beetles, including those that attack trees after fires. Their cavities later house many other animals.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cavity dug in a dead tree or dead part of a live tree
Eggs — Usually three to six
Incubation — About 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about four weeks
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Dead trees left standing where safe are nest and feeding sites.

Misconceptions

Downy and hairy woodpeckers are males and females of the same bird. They are separate species.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Pairs drumming	Pairs forming	Nesting	Nesting	Chicks	Young fledging	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present	Present

Where it lives

Recorded in 79 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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