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Tricky Bird IDs: Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker

Rockies and Pacific Northwest Populations
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Races found in the Rockies (shown above) tend to show much less white on the wing but otherwise appear similar to the Eastern race. The Pacific Northwest race (pictured below) shows a much darker belly and less white on the wing. Hairys of this race can have black barring on their outer tail feathers.
llustrations by Larry McQueen, photos by Michael Woodruff of Spokane, Washington
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FeederWatch is a joint research and education project of:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Home Page
Bird Studies Canada