<< Previous Next >>

Hairy Woodpecker


Hairy Woodpecker
Photo Information
Copyright: Helene Provencher (chouette) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 0 N: 843] (3000)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-02-11
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon EF300mm 4/L IS
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-02-16 22:17
Viewed: 1103
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note

Hello!
This species is very similar to Downy Woodpecker but larger, with a stronger voice. Hairy Woodpecker favors more mature woods and larger branches; it never forges on weed stalks.

Took in Cap Tourmente Wildlife Area.
Thanks for comments.

Have a nice weekend!

Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus

Cool fact: Hairy Woodpeckers find their food by feeling the vibrations made by insects moving about in the wood. They also can hear the insects munch on the wood!

Hairy Woodpeckers are between 9 and 13 inches (16.5 to 26 cm) in length. They are a black-and-white woodpecker with a long, chisel-tipped bill. Females are slightly smaller and less bulky than males.

Description: Hairy Woodpeckers have a black forehead and crown; males have a red patch on their nape (see drawing below), whereas females have a black nape.  A wide white supercilium with a broad black band extends through the eye to the ear coverts, then down the neck. The moustachial stripe is black, broadening on the neck. A black comma extends from the side of the neck to the upper breast. The chin and throat are white. The lower neck, sides of mantle, rump, and uppertail coverts are black. The back is almost entirely white. The upper coverts are black with large white spots. There is variation in the extent of the white spots across these coverts: with Pacific Northwest, southwestern, and southern races show little white on the wings. Flight feathers have white barring. The tail is centrally black with white outer tail feathers.

Conservation fact:   Although stable or increasing in numbers across most of the U.S., the Hairy Woodpecker has become rare and local in Florida and adjacent Georgia, where it continues to decline. In this region, the Hairy is found strictly in mature pine forests and strongly prefers recently burned areas. Natural wildfires play a vital ecological role in the southeastern U.S., and fire suppression by humans has made many species--including the Hairy Woodpecker--become threatened in this region.

Confusion with Downy Woodpeckers:
The range of Hairy and Downy woodpeckers overlaps across North America. Both are black-and-white woodpeckers, but they can be easily discriminated .

* Hairy Woodpeckers are larger.

* Hairy Woodpeckers have bills that are equal to or longer than the length of their head, whereas the Downy Woodpecker's bill length is shorter than its head.

* Hairy Woodpeckers have a black comma extending to the upper breast whereas Downy Woodpeckers do not.

* The white outer tail feathers of Hairy Woodpeckers are entirely white, whereas Downy Woodpeckers have spotted outer tail feathers.


Speed: 1/250
F-stop: f/5.6
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 300mm
Exposure compensation: -1/3

Tripod
claudine, Argus, GLEM, horia, Adanac, jeanpaul, Necipp, vanderschelden, marhowie, Tamrock, ramthakur, mirceax, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
None
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 147 N: 7948] (24747)
  • [2007-02-17 1:53]

Hello Helene,
This is a fine portrait of the Hairy Woodpecker, one of the best shot of this species that I have seen on TN, though I've never seen it in real life.
I can't fault it: This is sharp and well composed as a close portrait of the whole bird.
TFS,
Regards, Ivan

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 693] (5741)
  • [2007-02-17 3:59]

bonjour Hélène,
une image que l'on voit souvent mais c'est toujours agréable. Bonne composition, c'est parfaitement réalisé sur tous les plans : cadrage, lumière, netteté.

bravo.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2135 W: 224 N: 3948] (13111)
  • [2007-02-17 8:00]

Hi Helene

Another splendid capture from you!
I really like vertical composition here that makes this lovely woodpecker stand out even better.
The sharpness of the details is quite impeccable, the colors are lovely and well saturated and the contrast is very well managed.
I also like the POV and DOF here, which gives a great angle for the "working" :) bird and also blurred the BG nicely.
Very well framed and presented as well.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Bravo Hélène pour ce magnifique portrait,

La prise de vue est superbe ainsi que l'exposition et les détails. Ce n'est pas facile à réaliser avec ces petits oiseaux qui se déplacent si rapidement; bravo pour cette capture détaillée. À la prochaine,
Claudine
:-)...

  • Great 
  • viv Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 3 N: 622] (3128)
  • [2007-02-17 10:15]

Hello Helene,
Very nive shot of this woodpecker, lovely colours and very sharp.
Great job.
Vivian

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1111 W: 1 N: 4518] (15128)
  • [2007-02-17 20:50]

Hello Helene,
Classical woodpecker pose captured here with fantastic color and sharp detail. Thanks for the great note also, especially the differences between the hairy and downy.
Rick

Hello Helene good sharp shot well composed sharp focus good detail light was good exposure is nice for the white detail well done rgds Necip.

Good bird portrait, Helene.
I do like the detail in the highlights; the white plumage.
My nit is the eye which is a bit soft. Not a lot though:-)
TFS
Annick

Well composed closeup Helene, I like it.
Great exposure, colors, POV, and DOF.
Good detail and sharpness as well :)
Well done & TFS.

Bonsoir Hélène
Très belle présentation de ce pic s'affairant sur un tronc d'arbre. J'aime particulièrement l'arrière plan qui met bien les couleurs du pic en évidences.
Meilleures salutationse et amitié...JP
Les sourires demain

hi helene!
good one on the fine woodpecker!
sharp with great pov and dof
fine compo to
well done!

bonjour Helene,

splendide prise de vue de ce pic très belle couleurs et netteté superbement bien cadrée bravo

eric

bonjour helene
j'aimerais beaucoup prendre un pic comme le votre mais helas ici en france il ont l'air plus rare que chez vous au quebec!
en tout cas bravo pour ce cliché et merci du partage.
laurent

Hello Helene,
Now this is what I consider quality work, my friend.
It is quite obvious it is not one of those shots one would take off hand. A lot of planning seems to have gone into it, so that the end product is perfect in every respect.
You deserve full credit for creating this masterpiece.
Best regards,
Ram

Bonjour Hélène
Magnifique capture,l'exposition et les détails sont super.
Bravo et merci!
Mircea

Fantastic details and colors appear in this very nice capture. I love your center composition, you chose well. The aperature created the perfect soft background. Very nice Helene. :)

Bonsoir Hélène,

Une belle image de ce pic bois au plumage coloré, la photo a une bonne composition, netteté et de jolies couleurs. Bonne soirée.

Pierre

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF