Woodpeckers

Hairy Woodpecker

Dryobates villosus

A medium-sized black-and-white woodpecker with a long, chisel-like bill and a bold white back stripe. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head.

Current regional viewing notes

Mature forests around Hoonah; regularly visits forested trails and can be heard drumming on dead snags.

Dataset note: This legacy field can be specific to Southeast Alaska/Hoonah and is not a complete statewide range statement.

Habitat

Mature coniferous and mixed forests, forest edges, and parks.

Diet

Wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, bark beetles, and other insects; also sap and berries.

Natural history note

The Hairy Woodpecker's skull has spongy bone and a specialized hyoid bone that wraps around the skull to absorb shock from hammering at up to 25 strikes per second.