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editor   Kimberly Weiss
BellaOnline's Birding Editor
 

Online Birding Course Lesson 7 - The Woodpeckers

Our last lesson covered types of finches. In this lesson we're looking at another type of bird which can be similar to each other - the woodpecker.

With some suet feeders up, you should be able to bring in at least downy and hairy woodpeckers - even if you find it hard to tell them apart! You might also get in some red-bellies after a while, if it's quiet enough, and some flickers.

Downy Woodpecker
The downy is the smallest of the woodpeckers in this set. It loves suet, and is smaller than the hairy. Note that its beak is short.


Hairy Woodpecker
The key with the hairy woodpecker is to look at its beak. It's as long as its head is! If you get one up next to a downy, you can also see that it's much larger.


Red Bellied Woodpecker
These woodpeckers are shy, and even though the name is "red belly" it's far more noticeable that they have a red striped head. If your suet is in a quiet spot, you should see one or two of these after a while.


Woodpeckers are definitely on the shy side, and love suet. So to see them, put out a few suet holders, and leave them in the quieter areas of the yard.

Learning your Backyard Birds

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This content was written by Lisa Shea. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Kimberly Weiss for details.



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