The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker found year-round in Arizona’s forests, woodlands, and riparian areas. Measuring about 9–10 inches in length, it has a striking black-and-white plumage, with a white back, black wings marked by white spots, and a long, sturdy bill. Males show a small red patch on the back of the head, absent in females. In Arizona, these woodpeckers are most often encountered in higher-elevation pine, mixed-conifer, and oak forests, though they also appear in riparian corridors of cottonwood and sycamore at lower elevations. They forage by hammering and probing tree bark for insects and larvae, and will also eat nuts, seeds, and berries, frequently visiting feeders in winter. Hairy Woodpeckers nest in cavities they excavate in dead or decaying trees, where the female lays 3–6 eggs.
