The Hairy Woodpecker is a small but powerful bird that forages along trunks and main branches of large trees.  They are contrastingly black and white.  The black wings are checkered with white; the head has two white stripes and, in males, a flash of red toward the back of the head.  A large white patch runs down the center of the black back.  They are 7-10 inches in length and weight from 1.4-3.4 ounces.

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Hairy Woodpeckers sometimes follow Pileated Woodpeckers, and as the pileated moves on, the Hairy Woodpecker investigates the deep holes, taking insects the pileated missed.  They will also sometimes drink sap leaking from wells in the bark made by sapsuckers.  Most of their diet is made up of insects, particularly the larvae of beetles, ants and moth pupae in their cocoons.  Hairy Woodpeckers have helped control pest outbreaks such as wood-boring beetles in forests.  They supplement the insects with fruits and seeds.

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Hairy Woodpeckers typically excavate their nests in the dead stub of a living tree or in a dead tree.   They typically hitch up tree trunks by leaning back against their stiff tail feathers and springing upward with both feet at once.  They lay from 3-6 eggs once a year.  The incubation period is 11-12 days with a nestling period of 28-30 days.  When hatching the nestlings are naked, pink, a sharp egg tooth at the tip of the bill, eyes closed and clumsy.

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During conflicts Hairy Woodpeckers raise both wings over their back at a 45-degree angle, crane back their head and make shrill cries.   This bird is widespread and common, hence a low conservation concern.  The oldest recorded Hairy Woodpecker was a male, and at least 15 years, 11 months when recaptured in New York in 2010.

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Nestlings