Fauna Flora Photography

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

A mid-sized woodpecker commonly seen in the forests around Montreal. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head.

Taxonomy

Aves > Piciformes > Picidae

Names in different Languages

GermanHaarspecht
EnglishHairy Woodpecker
FrenchPic chevelu
SpanishPico velloso

How to Identify

There is one species which is very similar to the Hairy Woodpecker and covering the same areas displaying same behavior. To identify this species, I look at the length of the beak which exceeds significantly one third of the width of the head when being seen from the side.

Where When to Spot

All year long in the forests around Montreal. Best season is winter as due to lack of foliage the bird can be spotted more easily. Just sit down and watch. After some time a Hairy Woodpecker will pass by walking up the tree trunks searching for insects.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Belvédère Outremont 1 0 0 0
Jardin Botanique de Montréal 1 0 0 0
Parc Angrignon 1 1 0 2
Parc Bernard-Landry 0 0 1 0
Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies 5 0 0 1
Parc de la Frayère 1 0 0 0
  9 1 1 3

Number of times a species has been observed, identified, and recorded. A species is reported only once per visit to a park.

Photos of Hairy Woodpecker

Videos of Hairy Woodpecker

You can watch these videos and many more on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.


Last updated on 2023-06-20. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.