Birdwatching 101: Common New Hampshire woodpeckers identification guide

June 23, 12:45 PMManchester Bird Watching ExaminerBrad Sylvester

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Living in a fairly remote mountain forest about an hour outside of Manchester, New Hampshire, I hear the distinctive knocking of woodpeckers almost every day during the spring and summer. I also put up suet feeders and include a variety of nuts in one of our seed feeders that allow us a clear view of the woodpeckers when they visit. Most backyard birdwatchers know a woodpecker when they see one, but here’s a handy guide to help you identify the two most common species of woodpecker that Manchester residents may see while birding in New Hampshire.

• Photo slideshow of 9 NH woodpecker species with identification tips

By far the most commonly seen woodpeckers in New Hampshire are the Downy Woodpecker (picoides pubescens) and the Hairy Woodpecker (picoides villosus). By sound, these two are hard to distinguish for the beginning birder. The larger Hairy Woodpecker has a slightly lower pitch to both its short “peek” call and it’s longer rattling call. Perhaps the best way to tell them apart by sound alone is to listen to their drumming as they bore into a tree looking for food. The Downy Woodpecker’s drumming is slower and you should be able to distinguish each beat, which last about 16-18 beats at a time, over the course of about one second. The Downy Woodpecker will also drum for about one second at a time, but will have 25-27 beats during that time. 

Male Hairy Woodpecker -Photo by Alan D. Wilson, naturespicsonline.com 

If you should happen to see them, then distinguishing between New Hampshire’s two most common woodpeckers is a little easier. Refer to the included woodpecker photos here to note each of the following distinctions. Both of these woodpecker species have characteristic black wings with prominent white spots arrayed in noticeable lines across the wing. The males of both species also have a small red patch at the back of their head. The females will not have any red coloring visible. Both species of woodpecker have an up and down swooping pattern to their flight as do many other woodpeckers. Sometimes you will hear each flap of the wings as a rapid flp-flp-flp sound as one of these birds flies past. Once you become acclimated to this flapping sound, you’ll be able to tell a woodpecker flew by without seeing it.

Both of these woodpecker species lay their eggs in a hole in a tree. Their eggs are white and number 4-5 in a single clutch. Mated pairs will often feed together and the differences between the two sexes can often be directly compared as they feed.

But let’s get on to the differences. First and most obvious, is the size difference. The Downy Woodpecker is smaller at about 6” in length. That’s about 1-2 inches longer than a typical Black-capped Chickadee for comparison. The Hairy Woodpecker is about 3” longer than the Downy, or roughly the same size as the common American Robin. The other very noticeable difference is the bill. The Downy Woodpecker has a short, compact bill. The Hairy Woodpecker, on the other hand has a longer bill approaching an inch or so in length.

• Pileated woodpecker identification guide and information

Aside from physical differences, there are some behavioral differences as well. Although the prospect of food overpowers most animal’s instincts, the Hairy Woodpecker tends to be a Little more reclusive and doesn’t frequent backyard feeders as often as its smaller cousin. Being seen at the feeder doesn’t rule out the Downy Woodpecker, especially if suet is present, but the Downy Woodpecker should be your first guess, especially if there are many other birds present at the same time. The Downy Woodpecker will often associate with other birds of its size such as chickadees and nuthatches. The Hairy Woodpecker prefers to remain within the forest and tends to shy away from other birds. Of course, in areas where much of the forest has been cleared by human incursion, the Hairy Woodpecker has adapted and will be seen closer to human habitation more often. Where it has the choice of forests, though, it tends to prefer them.

While the Downy Woodpecker and the Hairy Woodpecker are the two most commonly seen woodpeckers in New Hampshire, there are many other woodpecker species that either reside in or pass through New Hampshire seasonally. Among them are the Black-backed Woodpecker, the Pileated Woodpecker, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, the Northern Flicker, and occasionally, the Red-headed Woodpecker, The Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the Three-toed Woodpecker. I’ll return to a further discussion of the other species in a future article.