Female Hairy Woodpeckers (Male vs Female Identification)

hairy woodpecker (Fleece pearl beads) are widely distributed in forests and woodlands of North America. It was a delightful sight to see this species flitting around and tapping on the trees. Their black plumage with bold white markings makes them easy to identify.

Female hairy woodpeckers are also easily distinguished from male woodpeckers. They have different plumage colors on the back of their heads, making them almost effortless to spot even from a distance.

Female hairy woodpeckers also exhibit some behaviors that differ from males. These distinctions mainly revolve around nesting and foraging habitats.

We will discuss in more detail throughout this article what makes female hairy woodpeckers unique. Read on to discover more!

Female hairy woodpeckers lack the distinctive red caps of male woodpeckers

How do you know if a hairy woodpecker is male or female?

Male and female hairy woodpeckers have similar plumage, but there is an easy way to tell them apart. The females have a different pattern on the back of their furry heads, boasting solid black plumage, while the males have a red cap.

female hairy woodpecker

male hairy woodpecker

What does a female hairy woodpecker look like?

The female hairy woodpecker is a medium-sized bird. Her plumage is predominantly black with a thick white stripe down the center of her back. The wings are black with white spots, and the head is solid black with white stripes above and below the eyes. The underparts are usually white or light gray.

There are some color and size differences between the different populations. Hairy woodpeckers at lower elevations tend to be slightly smaller, while populations east of the Rocky Mountains have almost solid black wings and narrower facial stripes.

Close-up of a female long-haired woodpecker, perched on a tree stump

Are female hairy woodpeckers bigger than males?

Female hairy woodpeckers are no larger than males. Males are generally larger than females overall, although the differences in size are not huge.

On average, males weighed more – close to 70 grams – while females averaged close to 62.5 grams. Female hairy woodpeckers typically have longer tails than males, but males typically have longer wings, beaks, and tarsal lengths.

behavioral difference

Male and female hairy woodpeckers differ most significantly in their nest-building and feeding behaviors. There are also some minor differences between their calling repertoire.

Female hairy woodpecker perched on the side of a tree

sing and call

Hairy woodpeckers don’t sing, but both sexes have a fairly extensive call repertoire. Males and females primarily use the same vocalizations, with the exception of two calls that seem to be associated only with females.

the first is Tucker Call – A series of soft notes used by females during mating and nesting behavior.

the second is Adjustment The vocalizations made by females during exaggerated air displays. It is likely to be related to the commonly used contact numbers, peepbut is not observed in any other case.

Female hairy woodpecker feeding on suet at a backyard bird feeder

nesting and feeding

Observations suggest that female hairy woodpeckers may self-select nesting sites and begin digging. Once the nest cavity is complete and the last egg is laid, both parents begin to incubate. Females hatch primarily during the day, while males hatch at night.

Incubation lasts 11 to 15 days and the brooding process begins after all eggs have hatched. For the first six days or so, both parents will continue to hatch the chicks. As with hatching, female hairy woodpeckers hatch primarily during the day, while males take on the responsibility at night. After about 12 days, the brooding process ends.

Hairy woodpecker parents share feeding their young almost equally. One feeds and the other tends the nest. Males and females also share nest hygiene facilities. Although, in some studies, females cleaned the nest more frequently than males.

Overall, male and female hairy woodpeckers split their nesting and feeding responsibilities in the middle, with the greatest difference in the time of day each parent performed the task.

Female long-haired woodpecker returns to nest to feed chicks

Can female hairy woodpeckers raise offspring alone?

Whether a female hairy woodpecker can raise her offspring alone likely depends on the stage her chicks are at. Females are less likely to be successful during the incubation period or early in the brooding process.

During this nearly two-week period, one parent was in the den almost all the time.

If the female takes on this responsibility alone, she will be forced to leave the nest in her absence. Also, being away from the nest for extended periods of time during incubation often results in the eggs failing to hatch.

The best case scenario for this is the loss of a mate at the end of the brooding process. At this point, the chicks are much less vulnerable and have one parent no longer in the nest nearly all the time.

Female long-haired woodpecker resting on a branch

What color is the female hairy woodpecker?

Female hairy woodpeckers are predominantly black with a white stripe down the back. Populations west of the Rocky Mountains have black wings with white spots, while most eastern populations have solid black wings.

Their underbelly is usually white or off-white and their head is black with white stripes above and below the eyes.

Is the belly of a female hairy woodpecker red?

Female hairy woodpeckers do not have red bellies. Unlike the males, they don’t have red at all. Male hairy woodpeckers have a red cap on the back of their heads, which helps distinguish them from females.

Female hairy woodpecker standing high on a perch in winter

Do female hairy woodpeckers bark?

Female hairy woodpeckers have a wide variety of calls, many of which are also used by male woodpeckers.In addition to the vocalizations mentioned earlier, the most common calls of woodpeckers are peepor sometimes jaw or click.

This sound is primarily a contact call used in pairings or between parents and offspring.

Other calls are usually peep used in different contexts. For example, cheer is a harsher sound used to deter intruders.They also use a series of sounds similar to Fool, week, chew, Voickor jock.

The calls of some hairy woodpeckers may be similar to those of black-backed woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers. It’s important to keep this in mind when trying to identify these birds based on calls alone.