am not sure which is a more spirited debate between birders: identifying Cooper’s hawks vs. sharp-shinned hawks or identifying hairy woodpeckers vs. downy woodpeckers. Of course, the time of year causes the same debates among the same group of people.

I have gotten surprisingly good at identifying Cooper’s vs. sharp-shinned, and this winter I have gotten surprisingly good with the hairy vs. downy debate as well.

Which woodpecker is it?

Downy woodpeckers are the smaller version of the typical “woodpecker shape” that most recognize because they are the smallest woodpecker in North America. The straight, chisellike bill, wide head and shoulders, and perfect posture for leaning away from tree trunks is a telltale sign that the bird in question is in the woodpecker family.

So now that the family has been “ID’d,” all that remains is figuring out which woodpecker species.

It’s so hard to do when there is only one bird because there’s nothing to compare it to, but here are the easiest ways to start to figure out what species it is. I have struggled to make these identifications with descriptions like this:

“Downy woodpeckers are about two-thirds the size of a hairy woodpecker.”

This description was enough to make me want to throw my field guide in the trash can.

In order for this to be helpful, I would need to get out there at the feeder and do some math or have another way to figure this out.

With two other field guides, I discovered the average size of both sexes was about 6 and a half inches in length. Aha!

Knowing that my suet cake holder is 6 and a half inches in length, this was the most helpful tool for easily identifying these birds.

The hairy woodpecker is larger and on average about 9 and a half inches in length.

After a lot of page-turning, it turns out that hairy woodpeckers are uncommon at suet cake feeders and aren’t typically found in heavily wooded areas vs. the downy woodpeckers that are common at feeders and found in a mixed wooded habitat.

Identifying the downy

Downy woodpeckers have a checkered black-and-white look to them. The black upper parts of the wings are heavily speckled with white, the head is boldly striped, and the back has a broad white stripe down the center. This field mark sets them apart from other woodpeckers except for the hairy woodpecker.

Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. The outer tail feathers are barred with black. Hairy woodpeckers have almost pure white outer tail feathers.

Downy woodpeckers “hitch along” tree limbs and trunks or will drop into tall weeds to feed on galls, moving with more agility than larger woodpeckers. Their rising-and-falling flight style is distinctive and similar to many woodpeckers. In spring and summer, downy woodpeckers make lots of noise, both with their shrill whinnying call and by drumming on trees.

You’ll find downy woodpeckers in mixed hardwood forests, particularly among deciduous trees, and brushy or weedy edges. They’re also at home in orchards, city parks, backyards, and vacant lots.

Now, can I figure out what that black bird is?

Jeannie Carl is a naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill. The center rehabilitates injured animals and educates the public on a variety of wildlife found in the area. For information on the Carbon County Environmental Center, visit www.carboneec.org.