Leuconotopicus villosus
Hairy Woodpecker
The Downy's big-billed double.
A Downy Woodpecker scaled up by a third with a chisel of a bill — the two are the classic ID puzzle of North American feeders. Hairies are shyer forest birds that a good suet cake pulls into view, especially where bigger timber stands near the yard.
Range
Year-round across nearly all of the US and Canada wherever mature forest occurs; scarcer in the treeless plains and deserts.
Seasonal habits
Resident all year. Hairies visit suet most faithfully in the cold months and during late-winter drumming season, when pairs are loudest and most active. Mountain and northern populations rely on cakes heavily after severe cold snaps.
How to identify one
- Robin-sized with a bill nearly as long as its head — Downy's is half that
- Same black-and-white pattern as Downy; cleaner white outer tail feathers
- Louder, sharper 'peek!' call and a whinny that doesn't descend like the Downy's
At the suet feeder
Hairies prefer suet mounted on or near real tree trunks over free-swinging cages. A tail-prop suet feeder — with a board below the cake — suits their size and turns quick raids into long visits.
Feeding one this winter? Homemade cakes beat store-bought — one part fat, one part peanut butter, three parts dry.
Suet cake recipe calculatorWhere to find the Hairy Woodpecker
| State | Status | Start suet by |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Alaska | Year-round resident | Any month |
| Arizona | Year-round resident | November 15 in the deserts, October 1 above the Rim |
| Arkansas | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| California | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Colorado | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Connecticut | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Delaware | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Georgia | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Idaho | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Illinois | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Indiana | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Iowa | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Kansas | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Kentucky | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Louisiana | Year-round resident | November 15 |
| Maine | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Maryland | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Massachusetts | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Michigan | Year-round resident | September 15 in the U.P., October 1 downstate |
| Minnesota | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Mississippi | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Missouri | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Montana | Year-round resident | September 1 |
| Nebraska | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Nevada | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| New Hampshire | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| New Jersey | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| New Mexico | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| New York | Year-round resident | September 15 upstate, October 1 downstate |
| North Carolina | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| North Dakota | Year-round resident | September 1 |
| Ohio | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Oklahoma | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Oregon | Year-round resident | October 1 for the winter ramp-up |
| Pennsylvania | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Rhode Island | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| South Carolina | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| South Dakota | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Tennessee | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Utah | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Vermont | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Virginia | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Washington | Year-round resident | October 1 for the winter ramp-up |
| West Virginia | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Wisconsin | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Wyoming | Year-round resident | September 1 |
FeederDates › Suet › Species › Hairy Woodpecker