Hairy Woodpecker

Overview
Hairy Woodpecker: Small woodpecker with black-and-white upperparts, white underparts. Head has red hindcrown patch. Face is white with black stripes.Tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Northwest birds have gray-brown breast, belly, and rump. Bill is long and black. Legs and feet are black.

Range and Habitat
Hairy Woodpecker: Resident from Alaska across Canada south throughout the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico. Some northern birds migrate south for the winter. Preferred habitats include deciduous forests.

The Hairy Woodpecker has a large range, estimated globally at 13,000,000 square kilometers. Native to North and Central America, this bird prefers subtropical or tropical forest ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 9,400,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Hairy Woodpecker is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Hairy Woodpecker has more than 17 recognized subspecies. They are the most prolific woodpeckers in North America. The males incubate the eggs during the night while the females incubate them during the day. A group of woodpeckers has many collective nouns, including a "descent", "drumming", and "gatling" of woodpeckers.