North Louisiana Wildlife
Female hairy woodpecker foraging on a tree trunk

Did you know that hairy woodpeckers will follow pileated woodpeckers or the sounds of them excavating to eat any uneaten insects?

Hairy Woodpeckers
at
a Glance

Hairy woodpecker drilling in a tree trunk

Key Features:

Hairy woodpeckers are black and white. Males have a red patch on the back of their head. Females do not.

Least Concern - Population Increasing

Habitat:

Forests, cemeteries, parks, and suburbs

nesting habits:

Hairy woodpeckers nest in cavities in the bottom of branches in dead trees or dead parts of living trees.

seasons hairy woodpeckers are active in our area:

All year

Diet:

Insects, fruit, and seeds

hunting Behavior:

Hairy woodpeckers forage by poking every nook and cranny up trees.

Commonly Confused With:

Downy Woodpeckers and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers

Male downy woodpecker foraging on a thin limb

Hairy woodpeckers are often confused with downy woodpeckers because both are black and white woodpeckers.  Hairy woodpeckers are larger and have longer beaks.

Male yellow-bellied sapsucker perched on a tree trunk

Hairy woodpeckers are often confused with yellow-bellied sapsuckers because both are black and white.  Yellow-bellied sapsuckers have a white patch on their wings.

See hairy woodpeckers @

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