Bird Food Preferences

Black-oil sunflower, striped sunflower, suet, sunflower hearts, and whole peanuts

Bird Feeder Preferences

Tube, hopper, platform, peanut, and suet

Bird House Specifications

Hairy Woodpeckers use nest boxes.  Check out the Bird House Dimensions page to learn how to build a bird house specifically for Hairy Woodpeckers.

Plants to Attract

Woody Plants: Alder, American elm, aspen, beech, maple, oak, pine, serviceberry, and willow

Description

Hairy Woodpeckers are found throughout most of the United States and Canada in mature woods.  They are also found in woodlots, parks, and suburbs.

Hairy Woodpeckers are between seven and ten inches in length and on average weigh two ounces.  Hairy Woodpeckers have black and white wings with white underparts.  They have white patches on their backs and males have a red patch on their head. The Hairy Woodpecker and Downy Woodpecker are very similar in appearance. However, the Hairy Woodpecker is larger overall.

Hairy Woodpeckers create their nest cavity in a dead tree or the dead portion of a living tree.  The cavity is 8 to 12 inches deep with an entrance hole of about two inches. The cavity is lined with wood chips.

Similar Species

Downy Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker