Downy Woodpecker

Female Downy Woodpecker

The length of the bill makes the difference - the Downy Woodpecker has a more modest bill than the Hairy Woodpecker. Males of both species have a red colored patch on the back of the head - the female (as shown here) has none. All together, we have seen Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Piliated Woodpeckers, and the most abundant for our yard, Downy Woodpeckers, a daily regular. The Wild Bird Center Website has a nice write-up on the Downy Woodpeckers. The suet feeders have made a big difference in attracting woodpeckers to our backyard.

For those feeders placed where squirrels can access them, the hot pepper suet has proven to be a good deterrent. We have also figured out that the suet feeders don't need their own hook, and can be doubled-up with a hanging basket - the birds seem to appreciate this since that configuration provides added landing areas to position themselves before latching onto the feeder (this is also a nice way to display a finch feeder - among hanging baskets). All of these are nice touches for enhancing the appearance of the garden while providing chow for our backyard birds.