Joan, Your snapshots are not as bad as you think! Isn't it fun to see and learn about all the different birds that come to our feeders? We share a telephone pre-fix; are you as far south as La Veta?
Your new woodpecker is a Hairy Woodpecker; a bird that looks so much like the little Downy, it's hard to tell them apart! The most popular ways are by the bill and the total size: the Downy is diminutive...both smaller in size and with a proportionally smaller bill. The Hairy is huge by comparison; a full third larger (by ~ 3") and with a much longer bill. If you get a good look sideways at a Hairy Woodpecker, you will notice the huge bill is nearly as long as the head is wide, while the Downy's is a tiny little thing...diminutive, even. Still, the best way for me is total size. I go out and measure suet feeders, poles, feeders, etc...then when I see a bird it is easier for me to judge the size. On the common suet feeder, the diminutive Downy is almost the length of the cage, while the huge Hairy is much bigger. So, on a 3" ball...I'd say with confidence; that is the Hairy Woodpecker. You might like to see this page: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/woodpeckerIDtable.htm Beverly Jensen La Veta, Huerfano Co. RuralChatter.blogspot.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
