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Project Noah Nature School
Picoides pubescens
This woodpecker is about 5 inches in length. Black wings with white spots and a white belly and has a relatively short bill. Male downy woodpeckers have the red spot on the back of their heads.
This bird was flying from tree to tree at a park near the Wachusett Reservoir.
The bill size is one indicator for sure, and Sibley notes (pp. 312-313) that the tuft at the base of the bill is conspicuous in the Downy and inconspicuous in the Hairy, and it is conspicuous in your first picture.
The hairy woodpecker and the downy look almost identical though. I do think it is a downy only because of the bill size. I was reading and the Hairy woodpecker has a longer bill than the Downy. Thank you for the help!
a Downey it is...and an very nice Downey pic at that! There's a nice variety of Woodpeckers out your way...
Thank you Ava...it is a Downy Woodpecker and a male at that with the red spot on his head.
Spotted on Oct 10, 2011
Submitted on Oct 10, 2011
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