Hairy Woodpecker

The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized, black-and-white woodpecker with a prominent white stripe down its back and a stout, chisel-like bill. Its stiff tail feathers act as a prop when it hammers into wood.

Striking black and white coloration featuring bold white spotting and barring along the outer edges of a dark black background, typical of woodpecker outer tail feathers

Strongly pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels, exhibiting a very rigid and stiff texture with slightly frayed tips

Stiff, robust, slightly curved central rachis with high-density barbs locked tightly together to provide maximum rigidity for vertical tree support

Stiff, wiry, smooth, and matte finish with reinforced structural rigidity designed to withstand friction against rough tree bark

Tail (central rectrix), determined by the stiff shaft and specialized wear pattern typical of support feathers used in vertical climbing

Stiff shaft, pointed tip, and characteristic black-and-white spotted or barred pattern unique to North American woodpecker outer tail feathers

Mature deciduous and coniferous forests, woodlots, forest edges, and recently burned areas with an abundance of standing dead trees

Widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada down through the United States into parts of Central America

Acts as a key forest ecosystem indicator by controlling wood-boring insect populations and excavating cavities used by many secondary cavity-nesting birds and mammals

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens), which is much smaller and whose outer tail feathers often feature distinct black bars on a white background rather than white spots on black

Hairy Woodpeckers can peck at wood up to 20 times per second, utilizing specialized skull adaptations and cushioning to protect their brains from impact

Historically utilized by Indigenous peoples in various cultural regalia and artifacts; feathers of native North American birds are now heavily protected

Look near the bases of dead trees, forest floors, and woodpecker roosting sites, particularly during spring and autumn molt periods

Good condition with minor fraying at the very tip, showing standard signs of mechanical wear from use against tree bark