| Group | Woodpeckers |
| Code | ABNYF07040 |
| Order | Piciformes |
| Family | Picidae |
| Author | (Linnaeus, 1766) |
| Rank | G5 (definitions) |
| Occurrence | P (definitions) |
| Scale | C (definitions) |
| Western UP | all |
| Eastern UP | all |
| Northern LP | all |
| Southern LP | all |
Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes
(Any Upland Deciduous (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
or (Any Upland Mixed (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
or (Any Lowland Deciduous (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
or (Any Lowland Mixed (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
containing:
(Snags and Dead Down Woody Debris)
view decision rule term definitions
| Habitats | Regen | Sap | Pole | Sm Saw | Lg Saw | Uneven |
| Aspen | no | no | no | YES | YES | - |
| Paper Birch | no | no | no | YES | YES | - |
| Oak | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Assorted Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Northern Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Spruce/Fir | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Hemlock | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Jack Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Red Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| White Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Conifer Plantations | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Mixed Upland Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Northern Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Upland Conifer | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Pine | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Swamp Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Bottomland Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Tamarack | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Northern White Cedar | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Black Spruce | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Lowland Hardwoods | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Mixed Lowland Conifer | no | no | no | YES | YES | YES |
| Non-Forested | none | |||||
| Special Features | Dead Down Woody Debris, Snags |
Habitat: This species nests in large, mature woodlands, favoring more extensive forest than the Downy Woodpecker. Although the Hairy Woodpecker can sometimes be found in suburbs and field edges where fencerows with trees are maintained, 90% of the Atlas Habitat Survey records were from deciduous or mixed forest, generally those rated mature.
Presence of dead trees and stubs and live trees with dead branches is essential for nest building and foraging. The Hairy Woodpecker has been found to forage more on live wood than on dead and uses conifers less than the Downy. Only a handful of observations recorded in the Atlas Habitat Survey were from coniferous forest. Hairy Woodpeckers will come to feeders for suet, fruits, and seeds.
Nest trees average 12 inches dbh and 30 feet in height. Territories are large, 20 acres about twice the size of Downy Woodpecker territories.
Habitat: Breeding: Open coniferous, deciduous and mixed woodlands with mature living and dead trees, wooded swamps. Prefers bottomland areas with large trees. Wintering: A shift to more residential habitat occurred in southern Illinois. Birds may move to more open country.
Special Habitat Requirements: Trees with a dbh of 10 inches or more are most suitable for nesting.
Habitat: Forests, woodlands, river groves, shade trees. Accepts wide variety of habitats so long as large trees are present; found in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forest, groves along rivers in prairie country, open juniper woodland, swamps.
Diet: Mostly insects. Feeds especially larvae of wood-boring beetles, also other beetles, ants, caterpillars, and others. Also eats some berries, seeds, nuts. Will feed on sap at damaged trees or at sapsucker workings and will come to bird feeders for suit.
Nest: Site is cavity mainly in deciduous trees in east, in aspens or dead conifers in west. Cavity usually 4-60 feet above ground.
Conservation Status: Although still very widespread and fairly common, thought to have declined from historical levels in many areas. Loss of nesting sites (with cutting of dead snags in forest) is one potential problem. Starlings and House Sparrows may sometimes take over freshly excavated nest cavities.