Latest / Birding by Ear with the Master Birders Academy / Downy vs Hairy Woodpeckers: Calls, Rattles and Drums

Transcript

Downy vs Hairy Woodpeckers: Calls, Rattles and Drums · Birding by Ear with the Master Birders Academy

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to Birding by Ear with the Master Birders Academy.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Kayla Fisk.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: When we are out birding and try to ID a bird, we typically use six different keys.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Whether we are conscious of this analysis or not.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: As we get more advanced in our birding skills, this thought process becomes second nature.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Those keys are size, shape, color, behavior, habitat, and sound.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Often, we can identify a bird simply by color or their field marks, the easiest of the clues for many species.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: But understanding the other five, and how and when to apply them are what makes a birder an expert.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then there are species that throw a curveball at our typical progression through these keys.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: One such species comparison is the downy and hairy woodpecker.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Both have nearly identical field marks, clad in a combo of black and white, and found in nearly the same range and habitat, and also display nearly identical behaviors.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: So that narrows us just down to size, shape, and sound.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Shape, again, is nearly identical, mainly displaying a difference in the size of their bill in relation to their head.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Size is the best visual clue we have to work with.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: A hairy is about the size of a robin, while the downy is about the size of a large sparrow.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: But size can be a hard thing to judge when it's at a distance.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Especially if the bird is by itself with nothing to compare it to nearby.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where sound comes in.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Luckily for us, both of these two woodpeckers are often vocal, announcing their presence even when they are hidden from our view by leaves and other nearby trees.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: So now that you know how sound can play one of the best roles in differentiating these two, let's get started.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start with the simplest sound, the one you'll hear the most often, their call notes.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Almost every bird species has a basic contact call, usually a single, short note that they give while moving around, flying, foraging, etc.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: These two woodpecker species are no exception.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go over how to differentiate each's call notes.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: The downy woodpecker has a short, flat, fairly soft note, often described as pick.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Or like a small plastic toy giving a dull little squeak.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: This call note is often given as a single note or in a string of short, loosely spaced notes, sounding a bit casual in its admittance.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: The hairy, on the other hand, will give a sharp note with more force behind it, often described as peak.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: It will be louder, crisper, and more explosive.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: More like a squeaky sneaker than the soft, squeaky toy pick of the downy.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: So to tell those two apart, remember downies calls are softer, duller, and shorter, sounding like pick.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: And Harry's are more sharp and explosive, sounding like peek.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Besides the single call notes, both species will give a series of rapid calls as well.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: In the downy, this series of notes is often described as a whinny and is a series of a dozen or more rapid notes that descends in pitch, trailing off and losing energy as it gets towards the end.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: For the hairy, this series of notes is best described as a rattle, where the rapid series of notes is at a level pitch from start to finish.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: It stays strong throughout the entire series of notes.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So to tell them apart, or take note if these notes stay the same like a hairy.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Or do they fall in pitch at the end like the downy?
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Both woodpecker species will use this series of notes for contact between mates, announcing territory, or just general communication.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: The next series of sounds these tool make are drumming and tapping.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: These sounds are classified as non-vocal, since they are created from the woodpecker using a piece of wood or other material to produce the sound.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Drumming is a woodpecker's way of communicating over long distances.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: It is typically done in a series of fast rolling taps of their beak against a resident surface, such as a dead limb, hollow trunk, gutters, or even a metal sign.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Woodpeckers create the sound as an alternative to having a typical song.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Both males and females will drum to either claim a territory or just keep in touch with its mate.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because this is also used in communication and courtship, it is most often used and heard anywhere from late winter through to spring, but it can be heard year-round to a lesser degree.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: A Downies drum has a roll of notes that is slower and softer.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Slow enough that you can sometimes even note individual notes in the drum.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Downies also tend to use thinner branches and other small dead stems, which causes their drum to sound much lighter and higher pitched.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Harry Woodpecker's drum, on the other hand, is typically faster, louder, and more even than the downies.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: They also tend to drum on larger limbs and trunks, which helps give their drum a deeper tone and stronger sound.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: One thing to keep in mind with drumming though, is it can be one of the least accurate of the woodpecker's sounds.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Depending on the surface they drum on, can greatly change how it sounds.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: For example, a downy drumming on a hollow log could sound louder than if a hairy was drumming on softer wood, for example.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Both species may make other sounds that are also non-vocal.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: These tend to be methods though that won't really be helpful for ID though.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: These sounds can be foraging taps, where the bird will do irregular tapping and probing of wood while foraging.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: They could also be making sounds as they excavate and chip away bark to get at insects, or excavating a nest cavity.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Of these three nonvocal sounds, only the louder drumming will help you figure out what species you are hearing.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: So now that you know the main sounds of these two species, let's do a quick recap.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: If a single note, does it sound flat and quieter, like a downy?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Or forced and explosive like a hairy?
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Does it sound like pick for the downy or peek for the hairy?
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: For their rattle or whinny?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Does it go down like a downy?
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Or level and fast like the hairy for their drum?
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: How loud does it sound?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Can you almost count the notes for a downy?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Or is it too fast to count for a hairy?
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Once you have these two species, you have a good start with learning more woodpecker species.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: These two are often the most common and the perfect starting point.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: From there, you can start learning other species, like the northern flicker, red-bellied woodpecker, piliated woodpecker, or the yellow-bellied sapsucker.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: So now that you know what to listen for, get outside and practice.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Luckily, both of these species are present year-round in almost all parts of North America.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Look in parks or forested areas to find these two bird species.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Practice IDing their call notes and rattles first as they tend to give these vocalizations year round.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: And if you'd like to learn more about birding and becoming a better birder, feel free to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MasterBirders Academy.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, happy birding!