Downy Woodpecker Feather : Downy & Hairy Woodpecker bird photos | South Burlington, Vermont Photos and commentary. : The downy is much smaller, with a short bill (much shorter than head);
Downy Woodpecker Feather : Downy & Hairy Woodpecker bird photos | South Burlington, Vermont Photos and commentary. : The downy is much smaller, with a short bill (much shorter than head); . The bill tends to look smaller for the bird's size than in other woodpeckers. The surest way to identify a young downy woodpecker or hairy woodpecker in the weeks. It has white back feathers, white belly feathers, white feather stripes on the head and white spots on the wings. Overtime, identifcation will get easier. The alpha code is dowo. A red spot is present on the back of the head if the bird is male. A downy woodpecker's whinny call descends in pitch toward the end, unlike the hairy woodpecker's call. They have a black tail with white outer feathers barred with black. Science professionals, special agents and wildlife inspectors, and students and educators. In the coastal northwest tribes, woodpecker sometimes appears on totem poles.