I can't tell the difference , does anyone know which these are?







The cage for suet , without the handle is about 5 inches high. The bird oabove teh top image is sparrow, a smallish bird. I've been through the comparisons and I just can't decide what to call them. They could all be different or all the same,

[boriscleto]

I'm going to say Downy. If that is a standard sized suet basket it would make the bird about 6.5 inches, Hairy Woodpeckers are bigger.

[bigted]

I'm with downy for exactly the same reasons given by boriscleto.

[Sagitta]

We had a downy AND a hairy raiding our feeders last year simultaneously. It makes IDing them easy as hell when they hang out together.

[charliezap]

I would say downy.The hairy is noticeably bigger. Here is a hairy from this morning.They are almost the size of a blue jay.--charliezap

[charliezap]

Downeys are docile and you can get really close to them.Hairys are flighty.When a hairy lands on the feeder you notice the differential from the downey.Their heads and beaks seem so much larger.--charliezap

[Lowell Goudge]

The. Easiest way to determine which species is the size of the bill, downy's have a small bill, Hairy's a big bill. A hairy woodpecker has a bill almost as long as his head is front to back a downy is much shorter

Here is a downy


Here is a hairy


My vote goes for downy

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Last edited by Lowell Goudge; 01-16-2013 at 03:51 PM.

[Lowell Goudge]

If you have inquiries on species in the future, check out the following thread in the birder's social group

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/groups/161-birding-group/2227-id-bird.html

[normhead]

We had a downy AND a hairy raiding our feeders last year simultaneously. It makes IDing them easy as hell when they hang out together.

We had that one year as well, but it was in the spring, and they didn't come back last year. I don't actually have any good pictures from that year. I hadn't perfected my technique. One year we had six , downey's and hairys, until one died crashing into the window, and I'm pretty sure we never saw the other 5 again.

Downeys are docile and you can get really close to them.Hairys are flighty.When a hairy lands on the feeder you notice the differential from the downey.Their heads and beaks seem so much larger.--charliezap

Thanks for the input one and all.... the middle guy, her body is sloped away from the camera and I'm pretty sure she's about 8 or 9 inches long, to the tip of her tale, so I'm inclined to stay with Hairy until I get a more accurate picture, the other two I'm almost certain are downeys at this point. Thanks for the help.

[normhead]

The. Easiest way to determine which species is the size of the bill, downy's have a small bill, Hairy's a big bill. A hairy woodpecker has a bill almost as long as his head is front to back a downy is much shorter

Here is a downy


Here is a hairy


My vote goes for downy

Those are some great pictures Lowell, and looking at the bill and size I think I can say the third one is a downy, for sure, the other two would appear to have longer beaks to me. I seriously need these birds in better poses. I'm going to have to spend another day in front of the window, sigh. They all could be downys, but I'd like a picture of a hairy to compare from the same set up, so we'll just go with downy until further notice.

[Lowell Goudge]

Those are some great pictures Lowell, and looking at the bill and size I think I can say the third one is a downy, for sure, the other two would appear to have longer beaks to me. I seriously need these birds in better poses. I'm going to have to spend another day in front of the window, sigh. They all could be downys, but I'd like a picture of a hairy to compare from the same set up, so we'll just go with downy until further notice.

Thanks, note the hairy feeding the chick, is made from two shots,, because the chick would not poke his head out when the adult ws there. The fit was perfect, as I cut the knot hole out from one shot and simply placed it on the other


I was thinking it was all the same pair of birds (the second without red patch is the female) but if they are different birds the first could be Hairy. Second still looks more like a downy

There is another means, based on clear white or spotted side tail feathers, but these are obscured on your shots so you can't tell

[Rupert]

Norm, we have a lot of the same types of birds, even though we are very far apart. What would you guys say this is? I just call them red-headed woodpeckers, and didn't know there were different types?
[IMG] [/IMG]

Regards, post more of your birds from up there, I always enjoy them!

[Lowell Goudge]

Norm, we have a lot of the same types of birds, even though we are very far apart. What would you guys say this is? I just call them red-headed woodpeckers, and didn't know there were different types?
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Regards, post more of your birds from up there, I always enjoy them!

believe it or not, it is a red bellied woodpecker

the red headed woodpecker (sorry no shot) has a complete red hed, black and white back, and broad white area on the trailing edge of the wing that merges into the white of the back

p.s. join the birders social group. we have an ID that bird thread

[Rupert]

Lowell, it makes perfect sense in today's world where up is down and black is white that a red head will make you red-bellied! I will check out the group, Thanks!
Regards!

[pete-tarmigan]

I can't tell the difference , does anyone know which these are?


The cage for suet , without the handle is about 5 inches high. The bird oabove teh top image is sparrow, a smallish bird. I've been through the comparisons and I just can't decide what to call them. They could all be different or all the same,

The first two are Hairys and the last one is a Downy. As one of the other people posted, the easiest way to tell is length of the bill relative to the length of the head. Downys also have a couple of black spots on their white tail feathers.