Hairy woodpecker (male)

Description:

The male is distinguished from the female with a red patch on the back of the head.

Habitat:

Spotted on a dead tree in a dense wetland-forest at Cape Disappointment State Park.

Notes:

These birds forage on trees, often turning over bark or excavating to uncover insects. They mainly eat insects, also fruits, berries and nuts, sometimes tree sap. They are a natural predator of the European corn borer, a moth that costs the US agriculture industry more than $1 billion annually in crop losses and population control. They are also known to peck at wooden window frames and wood sided homes that may house bugs.