The Hairy Woodpecker has one of the largest breeding distributions of any Northern American bird (John Klicka 2011). Their range covers most of the United States and large portion of Canada. They also occur around inland habitats in Central America as shown below in Figure 1. The Hairy Woodpecker’s distribution extends from central Alaska in the Northwest to Newfoundland in the Northeast and can live as far south as Panama (Am. Ornithology Union 1998). “ Hairy Woodpeckers are genetically divided into three different mitochondrial clades: southern Central America which includes Costa Rica, and Panama, Boreal and Eastern North America, and our own Southwest and Western North America (Klicka 2011). Locally at Evergreen State College the Hairy Woodpecker can be commonly found behind the Longhouse Building, in forested sections on either side of the Organic Farm trail, And on the trial that leads down to the Puget Sound.

Figure 1.

Jackson, Jerome A., Henri R. Ouellet and Bette J. Jackson. 2002

Hairy Woodpeckers inhabit forested areas made up of deciduous and coniferous trees, however habitat preferences vary depending on the area. They commonly inhabit mature deciduous tree stands and frequently use habitat edges between areas. the inhabited trees are usually ages in the range of 61-80 years old (Dana Ripper, James C. Bednarz, Daniel E. Varland, 2007). Hairy Woodpeckers are year round residents throughout their range and do not migrate each season. The Hairy Woodpecker’s range overlaps the Downy Woodpecker’s range in most of the United States.

Hairy Woodpeckers seem to be non-discriminate towards live or dead trees, as they will forage from either. (Kisiel 1972, Ouellet 1997). They also avoid intersexual competition for food, branching out to a large range of tree species (Kisiel, 1972). Female woodepckers have especially adaptive food habits(Kilham 1965). More than 75% of the Hairy Woodpecker’s diet consists of insects, though they will eat fruit, seeds, and commonly visit feeders (Bent 1939). Wood boring insects make up over 31% of a Hairy Woodpecker’s yearly consumption (Beal 1911). Other popular invertebrates for the Hairy included Ants, bees, and caterpillars. As a result they keep pest populations in check among forested stands and are extremely valuable for controlling codling moths in orchards. Other pests such as the wood boring beetle and the bark beetle larvae also provide an essential food sources for Hairy Woodpeckers (Hansen & Goheen, 2000).

Call: The Hairy Woodpecker’s call is a high-pitched peek/peech sound made by both sexes. Like many other qualities it can be easily mistaken for the Downy Woodpecker’s call, however it is a louder and lower pitch then that of the Downy (Jackson & Ouellet 2002).

Rattle: A Hairy Woodpecker’s rattle is loud series of quick, high pitched uniform sounds: jer jer jer jer… (Kilham 1966).

Drumming: Hairy Woodpeckers drum all year long; there drum is made up of very fast and long repeated knocks. Both sexes will drum to defend territory, as part of courtship, and as a warning sign of intruders near a nest. (Kilham 1966)

(Donald Kroodsma 2005)

 Tapping: Hairy Woodpeckers make a slightly deep tapping sound that sounds similar to an extra slowed down version of their drum. This occurs while they are foraging for insects.

 General Behavior:

-Flight: The Hairy Woodpecker is an intermittent flier, which flaps then bounds and repeats. Its bounds are often for a long duration (Tobalske 1996).

-Climbing: Woodpeckers use their long curved talons and stiff tail-feathers to help propel themselves up trees. They have a specific way of climbing: First they use their tail to push themselves upwards while leaning in close to the tree, and then throw themselves up with their legs before grabbing onto the tree again and stabilizing themselves with their tail. (Sibley 2003)

Mating Behavior:
During courtship, the male will make sputtering calls, and then will raise their red crown and spread his tail showing his white outer retrices. (Grinnell & Storer 1924, Lawrence 1967). Males will usually approach a female by climbing the tree to her, instead of flying and then they follow each other through the trees (Jackson & Quillet 2002). Mating occurs after the female consents the male with a “twittering call” (Kilham 1974). Hairy Woodpeckers are monogamous and their pair bonds last year round, occasionally for a lifetime (Kilham 1966). These breeding pairs form in late winter (Atkinson).

Nests are typically created in a living tree with dead sections, and especially in trees with heart-rot, (Jackman, 1975).  Though it’s not uncommon to find a Hairy Woodpecker’s nest in dead trees (snags). The snags that Woodpeckers nest in usually have some level of decay. For example ponderosa pines decay from intensive foraging, fires, and bark beetles, years after these trees have become snags woodpeckers will then excavate a nest. (Farris & Zack, 2005) Both the male and female Hairys excavate roosting holes. These trees are typically 61-80 year old stands (Dana Ripper, James C. Bednarz, Daniel E. Varland, 2007) Once a nesting site has been chosen, a nest cavity is excavated. The nest cavity itself is between 8-12 inches in depth with a 2 inch tall, 1.5 inch wide entrance hole (Farris & Zack, 2005; Cline et al.,1980).   Nest cavities have a number of advantages in comparison to other nests. For example the wooden walls of the tree provide insulation to a brooding parent, and then to their young. The cavity also protects the young from rain, wind, and some predators. (Jackman, 1975). The nesting cavity widens at the bottom to create more room for eggs as well as the nesting bird. Although the topic is still settling in controversy sources lead me to believe the Hairy Woodpecker lays a set of three eggs (A. G. van Aken, 2014) although they typically raise one brood each year. Both parents incubate the set of eggs for around 14 days. Afterwards the young birds stay with there parents for quite some time in comparison to other bird species. They leave the nest after around 30 days and still follow there parents for some time after that (Atkinson).

Hairy Woodpeckers remain a species on the “Least Concern” end of endangerment. Since Hairy Woodpeckers prefer mature forests and have a size preference on trees they require specific areas to create nests. Stands in a process of timber regeneration don’t hold potential for Hairy Woodpeckers (Richard N. Conner 1975) A study on the Hairy Woodpecker in Florida shows that the bird is most likely in decline due to forestry management practices and fragmentation of habitats.

Christmas Bird Count Data Nationwide

Christmas Bird Count Data Statewide (WA)

The overall trends from the Nationwide and statewide Christmas Bird Counts show a slow and semi-scattered increase in population size from the year 1992 to 2012. the P values from each of these CBC graphs indicate that there is actually an increasing trend in population size between the set dates.

Breeding Bird Survey Data Nationwide

Breeding Bird Survey Data Statewide (WA)

If you want to find a Hairy Woodpecker around the Evergreen State College there are a few things you should keep in mind. First of all take into account their habitat, deciduous and coniferous trees; preferably trees around 60-80 years old. Next you need to know distinctive characteristics of the Hairy Woodpecker. One of these features is the white patch of plumage going down its back. Keep in mind that the Downy Woodpecker also has this white stripe, but they can be easily distinguished by size. The Downy being around six inches tall and the Hairy being around nine (Sibley 2003). The best tool to find a woodpecker is your ears. Walking through the forest if you are listening close enough to your surroundings you will find the tapping sound of woodpeckers foraging or possibly choosing a nesting site to excavate (Kilham 1966).

I noticed something particular about the habits of woodpeckers foraging through my observations. They have a pattern of probing and then attacking. There are usually a specific number of probes before the woodpecker obtains food then pulls their head back and eats. The probe as I see it is like a searching mechanism for the food.

11/18/14

It was around 45 degrees F outside and seventy percent of the sky was covered in clouds. In the Evergreen State college woods there is a narrow boardwalk; while I was walking along it I heard a slight tapping sound to the right of me, it was a woodpecker. This is the sound I was looking for, after scanning the trunks for movement I found a male Hairy Woodpecker pecking at the side of a tree. Another woodpecker had previously used this tree, as I could see it had some holes in the trunk. The Hairy was around six meters high; I was using my own height to measure. He climbed to a branch and began pecking upward, then flew to the trunk of the tree and started to peck at the holes. More detailed information is displayed in Figure 1.

In the same day I spent time observing and walking through the Organic farm trail behind Lab II. Halfway through the trail towards the farm I heard the tapping of a woodpecker once again. So I followed it by ear into the dense fern-filled forest. I got about twenty-five feet away from the Hairy Woodpecker and started to hear another on my other side. At that point I started taking notes on its probing and attacking, which are presented below in Figure 1. but after observing for about twenty minutes the woodpecker flew away. Then the other woodpecker took off as well, adding a loud Peek sound. This was the first time I had heard their call.

Location	Species	Maneuver Specific	ManeuverBroad	Substrate typeSpecific	Substrate	Height above
TESC Forest*	Picoides Villosus	3 Attacks	Hanging under	Branch	Branch	6m
TESC Forest*	Picoides Villosus	Probe	From above	In holes	Trunk	6m
TESC Forest*	Picoides Villosus	2 Attacks	On side	Wide branch	Branch	6.5m
TESC Forest*	Picoides Villosus	Attack	Hanging under	Thin branch	branch	4m
Organic farm#	Picoides Villosus	Probe	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk/Canopy	3m
Organic farm#	Picoides Villosus	3 Attacks	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk/Canopy	4m
Organic farm#	Picoides Villosus	2 attacks	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk/Canopy	4m

Figure 1.

*F -lot woods of the Evergreen State College forest

# -Organic Farm trail from back of Lab II of the Evergreen State College down to the organic farm, towards the middle/on the side of the Longhouse

11/24

Location	Species	Maneuver Specific	ManeuverBroad	Substrate typeSpecific	Substrate	Height above
Organic Farm	Picoides Villosus	3 Probes	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk	4m
Organic Farm	Picoides Villosus	2 Probes	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk	4m
Organic Farm	Picoides Villosus	Climbs upward	–	Douglas fir	Branch	4.5m
Organic Farm	Picoides Villosus	Attack	Reaching to side	Douglas fir	Branch	5m
Organic Farm	Picoides Villosus	3 Probes	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk	5m
Organic Farm	Picoides Villosus	Attack	On side	Douglas fir	Trunk	5.5m

Figure 2.

11/30

Location	Species	Maneuver Specific	ManeuverBroad	Substrate typeSpecific	Substrate	Height above
Forest*	Picoides Villosus	4 Probes	On side	Trunk	Trunk	3m
Forest*	Picoides Villosus	Flies upward	–	Trunk	Trunk	3m
Forest*	Picoides Villosus	Attack	Moves to branch	Branch	Branch	3.5m
Forest*	Picoides Villosus	3 Probes	Reaching downward	Branch	Branch	3.5m

Figure 3.

*Across the street from the Evergreen Organic Farm

12/2

Back again in the Evergreen State College forest I walked past the boardwalk with me head clear and my ears ready. Suddenly I heard a screech, which I first thought must be a woodpecker. So I listened closer, but didn’t hear anything. I kept walking, and then heard a deep tapping, which was most definitely a woodpecker. So I ventured out into the forest. I had my shotgun microphone in my left hand and my Olympus LS-100 in my right, ready to record. When I finally found the woodpecker and started recording I noticed how large it was, at least a foot tall! Turns out that it wasn’t a Hairy Woodpecker but instead a pileated. I recorded and then kept on walking. Coming close to the beach without hearing another Woodpecker I started to lose hope. But once I had arrived at the beach I got to enjoy the surf scooters. On my way back up the trail I was surprised with by the sound of a woodpecker tapping. It was a male Hairy Woodpecker up at least six meters high on the mid section of a Douglas fir. Every two to three seconds it would peck at the tree, sometimes finding an insect to eat. Most of the pecks he made towards the tree were just probing or searching. A couple minutes into my observations the Hairy started making sounds, which were hard to pick up even by my shotgun microphone. They were not very loud and very short calls: peech peech peech. I couldn’t tell why he was making them; it could have been that he noticed me as a sort of threat. He stayed on the main trunk of the tree for thirty minutes, and then I continued on the path up back through the forest and found a Downy on the way. I stopped multiple times on the boardwalk to see if I could hear another woodpecker, but I couldn’t. Then just towards the exit of the forest and into the parking lot entrance was another Hairy Woodpecker, which flew to another tree shorty after I had made the note into my microphone.

12/3

It was around thirty-five degrees and there was still frost on the ground in the Evergreen State College forest I was looking for a woodpecker specifically for recording. I heard tapping once I was deep into the forest taking a new trail. Recorded two calls but noticed a difference, it was a Red-Breasted Sapsucker. Then a large bird flew overhead, and I heard it moments later: a Barred Owl. Farther down the path near a hut built by students I spotted a Hairy. Figure 4. Displays my recordings.

Location	Species	Maneuver Specific	ManeuverBroad	Substrate typeSpecific	Substrate	Height above
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	3 Probe	On side	Trunk	Douglas fir	6m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Attack	On side	Trunk	Douglas fir	6m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Moves clockwise	–	Trunk	Douglas fir	6m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	3 Probes	On side	Trunk	Douglas fir	6m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Moves to branch	–	Thick Branch	Douglas fir	6m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Flies to new tree	–	Trunk of new tree	Trunk	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	2 Probes	On side	Trunk	Trunk	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Attack	On side	Trunk	Trunk	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	4 Probes	Moves to branch	Thick Branch	Branch	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	2 Probes	Reaching down	Thick Branch	Branch	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Attack	Moves to Side	Trunk	Trunk	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Flies downward	–	Trunk	Trunk	2.5m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	5 Probes	On side	Trunk	Trunk	2.5m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	2 Probes	On side	Trunk	Trunk	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Attack	On side	Trunk	Trunk	3m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Moves to other side of tree	Counter clockwise	Trunk	Trunk	4m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Attack	On side	Trunk	Trunk	4m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	Flies to Branch	–	Branch	Branch	4m
TESC Forest	Picoides Villosus	2 Attacks	Reaching up from below	Branch	Branch	4m

Figure 4.

Jackson, Jerome A., Henri R. Ouellet and Bette J. Jackson. 2002. Hairy Woodpecker (Picoidesvillosus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://0-bna.birds.cornell.edu.cals.evergreen.edu/bna/species/702

American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. Check-list of North American birds.7th ed. Am. Ornithol. Union, Washington, D.C.

Tobalske, B. W. 1996. Scaling of muscle composition, wing morphology, and intermittent flight behavior in woodpeckers. Auk 113:151-177.

Lawrence, L. de K. 1967. A comparative life history study of four species of woodpeckers. Ornithol. Monogr. 5:1-156.

Grinnell, J. and T. I. Storer. 1924. Animal life in the Yosemite. Univ. of California Press, Berkeley.

Kisiel, D. S. 1972. Foraging behavior of Dendrocopos villosus and D. pubescens in eastern New York State. Condor 74:393-398.

Farris, K.L., & Zack, S. 2005. Woodpecker snag interactions: an overview of current knowledge in ponderosa pine systems. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report 183-195

Jackman, S.M. 1975. Woopeckers of the Pacific Northwest: their characteristics and their role in the forests. M.S. thesis. Oregon State University, Corvallis 147p.

A. G. van Aken The American Naturalist, Vol. 17, No. 5 (May, 1883), pp. 511-515

 

Dana Ripper, James C. Bednarz, Daniel E. Varland. Landscape Use by Hairy Woodpeckers in Managed Forests of Northwestern Washington. The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 71, No. 8 (Nov., 2007), pp. 2612-2623

John Klicka, Garth M. Spellman, Kevin Winker, Vivien Chua, and Brian T. Smith (2011) A Phylogeographic and Population Genetic Analysis of a Widespread, Sedentary North American Bird: The Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus). The Auk: April 2011, Vol. 128, No. 2, pp. 346-362.

Lawrence Kilham The Wilson Bulletin, Vol. 77, No. 2 (Jun., 1965), Differences in Feeding Behavior of Male and Female Hairy Woodpeckers. pp. 134-145

Kilham L. 1966 Reproductive behavior of Hairy Woodpeckers. 1. Pair formation and courtship Vol. 78 pp. 251-265

Kale, H. W., II, B. Pranty, B. M. Stith, and C. W. Biggs. 1992. The atlas of the breeding birds of Florida. Final Report. Florida Game an Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida.

Donald Kroodsma, 2005 “The Singing Life Of Birds”

Sibley D. A. 2003 The Sibley: Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. Pp.268-269

Atkinson, Scott, Brain Bell, and Julia Bent. “Hairy Woodpecker.” BirdWeb. Seattle Audubon Society, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.