Hairy Woodpecker

Leuconotopicus villosus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Picidae — Woodpeckers

Hairy Woodpecker, Leuconotopicus villosus, is a woodpecker of North America and Middle America, where it is widespread in the breeding season. It belongs to the family Picidae in the order Piciformes, and was described by Linnaeus in 1766. It is found across a broad range, from the Bahamas and Canada through Mexico and Central America to Panama, with mature deciduous forest among its habitats. The species is best recognised by its close resemblance to the smaller Downy Woodpecker, though the two can be separated by the bill and by the absence of spots on the white outer tail feathers.

Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae — Woodpeckers
Breeding range
North America, Middle America: widespread
Hairy Woodpecker
© Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

6 tours in Canada 5, United States 1

Private Alta Alpine Birding with FeatherQuest
Private Alta Alpine Birding with FeatherQuest
United States / Alta Private tour

Visit Alta for private high-elevation birding among snowy feeder areas, summer meadows and classic Wasatch mountain scenery, with a pace tai...

From USD 350
Saskatoon Winter Birdwatching Tour 2026
Saskatoon Winter Birdwatching Tour 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A two-hour winter birdwatching tour through Saskatoon parks, combining gentle walking with driving between current songbird and waterbird si...

From CAD 65
Cheerful Chickadee Feeding and Photography Tours 2026
Cheerful Chickadee Feeding and Photography Tours 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A winter chickadee experience near Saskatoon, offered as a two-hour public outing or a three-hour private tour with birdwatching and photogr...

From CAD 45
President Murray Park Bird Walk – 1 hour birding in Saskatoon’s best coniferous forest park
President Murray Park Bird Walk – 1 hour birding in Saskatoon’s best coniferous forest park
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 1h

A private one-hour bird walk through President Murray Park’s mature spruce plantation in central Saskatoon, suitable for beginners and low...

From CAD 95
Pike Lake Birding Tour – 2 great options
Pike Lake Birding Tour – 2 great options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A private self-drive birding tour from Saskatoon to Pike Lake, with a three-hour core option and a longer six-hour programme for broader hab...

From CAD 240
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive birding route from Gardiner Dam to the Anerley Lakes valley, combining lake, river, woodland, marsh and prairie habita...

From CAD 390