Woodpeckers in Washington, DC?

Have you ever heard what sounds like someone hammering really fast while hiking through Rock Creek Park, far away from any buildings? There’s a good chance you heard a woodpecker. Several varieties live in Rock Creek Park, including pileated woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, and red-bellied woodpeckers. All three of these woodpeckers have a mix of black and white feathers with small amounts of red that vary greatly in size and pattern. Woodpeckers live in cavities in trees and feed primarily on insects in and below tree bark.

A Downy Woodpecker perches on a birdfeeder at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center

NPS Photo/K. Cain

Downy woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers in North America--only 6.5 inches from tip of the beak to the tip of the tail, with a white belly and black and white back and head. The males have a small red spot on the back of their heads, which distinguishes them from females.

Because there is no red on the head of this Downy Woodpecker, it can be identified as a female.

NPS Photo/K. Cain

Are hairy woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers the same?

Hairy woodpeckers are another species which generally have the same markings as downy woodpeckers. However, hairy woodpeckers are larger, about 9.5 inches, and have a larger beak in relation to the whole bird.

A male red-bellied woodpecker perches on a tree branch.

NPS Photo

Red-bellied woodpeckers have a white breast and can have a reddish-blush on the belly, although it can be difficult to see the red on the belly. They have black and white patterns on the back and wings. Females have red on the back of their necks, while the red extends from the back of the neck over the top of their heads to the beak on males. The third photo is a male red-bellied woodpecker. When you see one, your first thought might be why aren’t they called red-headed woodpeckers? That’s the name of a different variety of woodpecker, with a completely red head. Red-bellied woodpeckers are slightly larger than hairy woodpeckers at 9-10.5 inches.

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest of the woodpeckers in Rock Creek Park at 16-19.5 inches. The pileated woodpecker has a black back and stomach. The backs of its wings are also black, while there is white on the underside of the wings. They have a bright red crest, with red extending onto the forehead in males.

A pileated woodpecker clings to a tree

NPS Photo