I'm no bird expert but for 12 years I've been watching and photographing
the birds in my (Cariboo) back yard. Among our most frequent visitors are the
hairy woodpeckers. I'm not sure I could tell one from another, except that the males have a red flash on their crown.
So, when I saw this one, I did a double take, thinking it was probably a variety I'd never encountered. But other than a beak three times as long as all the other Hairy visitors (see inset), he was the same. Nothing like this in the bird guide and our local bird guy,
Tom Godin, agreed.
He's a regular visitor, gets on well with the other Hairys and seems to manage OK with his long beak. I think he even has a bit of an advantage getting deep into the suet cage, though my impression is that getting food down his beak and into his body is a little more time-consuming.
Have you ever seen a Hairy woodpecker like this? Either way, I'd welcome your comments.
For more about my birds: Birds from a Backyard Deck.
