Hairy Woodpecker
Learn to identify the Hairy Woodpecker by ear. Master the "peek-peek-peek-peek" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Hairy Woodpecker sounds like
A quick, even drumroll rings from a resonant trunk or branch. The bird makes it with its bill rather than its voice.
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Hairy Woodpecker
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Hairy Woodpecker's sounds in this interactive in-app lesson.
Start Learning Free
Where you'll hear it
Year-round resident throughout most of its extensive range from Alaska and Canada south through the United States and parts of Central America.
Mature forests of conifer, deciduous, and mixed types; also parks, suburban woodlots, burned areas, and even isolated shade trees.
Minimal migration; some individuals descend from high elevations or northern extremes in winter. More vocal and conspicuous during late winter and spring courtship.
How to recognize it by sight
The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized, boldly patterned black-and-white woodpecker found across North America. With a straight, chisel-like bill nearly as long as its head, it is an energetic forager that hitches up tree trunks and branches, prying off bark in search of insects. Males sport a small red patch on the rear crown, while females lack red entirely.
Similar species
Downy Woodpecker
Downy markedly smaller with shorter bill (about one-third head length).
Red-naped Sapsucker
Shows extensive red on nape and throat.
Black-backed Woodpecker
Entire upper back solid black, lacks white wing spotting.