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| Photo Credit: Corey Seeman |
5 Common Michigan Woodpeckers
Identification tips
Identification tips
The five woodpeckers below have a year-round range here in Michigan and are always a delight to see!
Downy Woodpecker.jpg "Downy Woodpecker (Charles Burtlag)")
In winter, Downy Woodpeckers are frequent members of mixed species flocks; this increases their chances of finding food because they spend less time watching for predators. They eat foods that larger woodpeckers cannot, such as insects or larvae that live on or in weed stems. You can attract these woodpeckers to your feeder with suet, black oil sunflower seeds, millet, peanuts and chunky peanut butter.
Size: 5.5-6.7 inches long
Wingspan: 9.8-11.8 inches
Weight: 0.7-1.0 ounces
Year-round Coloration: A checkered woodpecker, the Downy displays white underparts and black upperparts with white checkers on the wings; the head is boldly striped with a distinctive stripe down its back. Males have a small red patch on the back of their head. A helpful hint for identification is the beak is shorter than the length of the head.
In winter, Downy Woodpeckers are frequent members of mixed species flocks; this increases their chances of finding food because they spend less time watching for predators. They eat foods that larger woodpeckers cannot, such as insects or larvae that live on or in weed stems. You can attract these woodpeckers to your feeder with suet, black oil sunflower seeds, millet, peanuts and chunky peanut butter.
Size: 5.5-6.7 inches long
Wingspan: 9.8-11.8 inches
Weight: 0.7-1.0 ounces
Year-round Coloration: A checkered woodpecker, the Downy displays white underparts and black upperparts with white checkers on the wings; the head is boldly striped with a distinctive stripe down its back. Males have a small red patch on the back of their head. A helpful hint for identification is the beak is shorter than the length of the head.
Hairy Woodpecker%20.jpg "Hairy Woodpecker (Teresa Gueck)")
The Hairy Woodpecker is very adaptable and can live in elevations from sea-level up to 6,500 feet. Insects make up 75% of their diets and they have been used to help control pest outbreaks such as codling moths in orchards. Hairy Woodpeckers rarely visit feeders unless food is scarce, in which case they are attracted to suet. If you have dead trees or dead parts of trees in your yard that are safe to keep standing they will make a great home for a pair to nest in.
Size: 7.1-10.2 inches long
Wingspan: 13-16.1 inches
Weight: 1.4-3.4 ounces
Year-round Coloration: Larger than the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy is also a checkered woodpecker. The Hairy has white underparts and black upperparts with checkered wings and a large white patch that runs down the center of the back. The head has two white stripes and males display a red patch on the back of their head. A helpful hint for identification is the beak is the same length as the head.
The Hairy Woodpecker is very adaptable and can live in elevations from sea-level up to 6,500 feet. Insects make up 75% of their diets and they have been used to help control pest outbreaks such as codling moths in orchards. Hairy Woodpeckers rarely visit feeders unless food is scarce, in which case they are attracted to suet. If you have dead trees or dead parts of trees in your yard that are safe to keep standing they will make a great home for a pair to nest in.
Size: 7.1-10.2 inches long
Wingspan: 13-16.1 inches
Weight: 1.4-3.4 ounces
Year-round Coloration: Larger than the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy is also a checkered woodpecker. The Hairy has white underparts and black upperparts with checkered wings and a large white patch that runs down the center of the back. The head has two white stripes and males display a red patch on the back of their head. A helpful hint for identification is the beak is the same length as the head.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
These birds often stick to main branches and trunks of trees, where%20.jpg "red bellied woodpecker (Kelly Colgan Azar)")
they hitch in classic woodpecker fashion, leaning away from the trunk and onto their stiff tail feathers as they search for food hiding in bark crevices. A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. You can attract these woodpeckers to your feeder with suet, peanuts and occasionally sunflower seeds.
Size: 9.4 inches long
Wingspan: 13-16.5 inches
Weight: 2-3.2 ounces
Year-round Coloration: The Red-bellied Woodpecker tends to look pale overall with white underparts and a black and white checkered back. It has a red cap and nape.
These birds often stick to main branches and trunks of trees, where
they hitch in classic woodpecker fashion, leaning away from the trunk and onto their stiff tail feathers as they search for food hiding in bark crevices. A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. You can attract these woodpeckers to your feeder with suet, peanuts and occasionally sunflower seeds.Size: 9.4 inches long
Wingspan: 13-16.5 inches
Weight: 2-3.2 ounces
Year-round Coloration: The Red-bellied Woodpecker tends to look pale overall with white underparts and a black and white checkered back. It has a red cap and nape.
Northern Flicker, “Yellow-shafted”
The “yellow-shafted” Northern Flicker is found in the east and far north.jpg "Northern Flicker (skye Haas)")
while the “red-shafted” species is found in the west. Northern Flickers spend lots of time on the ground, and when in trees they’re often perched upright on horizontal branches instead of leaning against their tails on a trunk. The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory, it has a year-round range in the Lower Peninsula and a can be found during the breeding season in the Upper Peninsula. These woodpeckers rarely visit feeders but when they do they prefer suet, they are also attracted to birdbaths.
Size: 11-12.2 inches long
Wingspan: 16.5-20.1 inches
Weight: 3.9-5.6 ounces
Year-round Coloration: Flickers appear brownish overall; up close you can see the brown plumage is decorated with black spots, bars and crescents. The woodpecker has a white rump with bright yellow on the undersides of the wings and tail.
The “yellow-shafted” Northern Flicker is found in the east and far north
while the “red-shafted” species is found in the west. Northern Flickers spend lots of time on the ground, and when in trees they’re often perched upright on horizontal branches instead of leaning against their tails on a trunk. The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory, it has a year-round range in the Lower Peninsula and a can be found during the breeding season in the Upper Peninsula. These woodpeckers rarely visit feeders but when they do they prefer suet, they are also attracted to birdbaths.Size: 11-12.2 inches long
Wingspan: 16.5-20.1 inches
Weight: 3.9-5.6 ounces
Year-round Coloration: Flickers appear brownish overall; up close you can see the brown plumage is decorated with black spots, bars and crescents. The woodpecker has a white rump with bright yellow on the undersides of the wings and tail.
Pileated Woodpecker.jpg "Pileated Woodpecker_1 (danial Behm)")
One of the largest Woodpeckers in North America, the Pileated Woodpecker digs impressive rectangular holes that can be a foot or more long and go deep inside the wood; they create the holes to catch carpenter ants. These woodpeckers are monogamous and have very large territories. Pileated Woodpeckers sometimes visit backyard bird feeders, especially if suet is available.
Size: 15.7-19.3 inches long
Wingspan: 26-29.5 inches
Weight: 8.8-12.3 ounces
Year-round Coloration: The Pileated Woodpecker is mostly black with white stripes on its face and neck and a bright red crest. Males display a red stripe on their cheek.
With a good chance of seeing most of these woodpeckers in your backyard, especially if you live near a wooded area, this quick tip guide should help you identify these sometimes hard to distinguish birds!Happy Birding!
One of the largest Woodpeckers in North America, the Pileated Woodpecker digs impressive rectangular holes that can be a foot or more long and go deep inside the wood; they create the holes to catch carpenter ants. These woodpeckers are monogamous and have very large territories. Pileated Woodpeckers sometimes visit backyard bird feeders, especially if suet is available.
Size: 15.7-19.3 inches long
Wingspan: 26-29.5 inches
Weight: 8.8-12.3 ounces
Year-round Coloration: The Pileated Woodpecker is mostly black with white stripes on its face and neck and a bright red crest. Males display a red stripe on their cheek.
With a good chance of seeing most of these woodpeckers in your backyard, especially if you live near a wooded area, this quick tip guide should help you identify these sometimes hard to distinguish birds!Happy Birding!
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