So, what birds look like downy woodpeckers? The most common cousins of downy woodpeckers are northern flickers, red-breasted sapsuckers, red-naped sapsuckers, Williamson's sapsuckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, hairy woodpeckers, great-spotted woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, pileated woodpecker, and more. Here we're going to talk about these beautiful birds. The Downy Woodpecker, with its distinctive black and white plumage, is a common favorite.
However, many birds can look strikingly similar, making identification tricky. In this guide, we'll explore 10 birds that look like Downy Woodpeckers, helping you distinguish between these look-alikes and enhance your birdwatching experience. Let's.
Similar looking birds to Downy Woodpecker: Hairy Woodpecker Male (eastern), Hairy Woodpecker Female (Rocky Mts.), Red-cockaded Woodpecker Adult, Ladder-backed Woodpecker Male, Nuttall's Woodpecker Male, Yellow. Many woodpeckers can share a very similar look. In this article, we'll be going over 12 different bird and woodpecker species that, through a variety of ways, have resulted in appearances that mimic those of other woodpeckers (especially the downy woodpecker, one of the most commonly found species in the wild).
Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: Look at the Plumage Courtesy Dennis Peters Look for black spots on a downy woodpecker's white tail feathers. Smartly patterned, with a touch of red on the males, black and white downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers look remarkably similar to each other. Both Hairy and the Downy Woodpeckers, unfortunately.
It's easy to find these woodpeckers out in the woods (just like you find shorebirds on the shore), but an early identification challenge for new birders is distinguishing between these two common species. Though they're very similar, there are some key differences to look out for. The hairy woodpecker looks very similar to the downy woodpecker, which is the smallest woodpecker species in North America, but it's about 1/3 bigger in size.
Here's a quick overview of how to identify a hairy woodpecker based on size, appearance, behavior, habitat, and range. The hairy and downy woodpeckers are two of the most common woodpeckers in North America. Learn how to tell the difference between the two.
What Is A Downy Woodpecker? The Downy Woodpecker is a small, black and white bird that belongs to the Picidae family. It is one of the most common woodpeckers in North America, found throughout forests, parks, and backyards. The male and female downy woodpeckers look similar but can be distinguished by their bill; the males have longer bills than females.
The hairy woodpecker, left, and downy woodpecker, right, call Muddy Creek Preserve home. Learn how to tell the difference between these look-alikes!