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This web page, CLOSE CALL, is intended to help with the identification of some Siouxland birds that are very similar in appearance. Identification challenges will be added periodically.

 

Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers

Left: Downy Woodpecker; Right: Hairy Woodpecker. © Pat Schiller; Muskoka, Ontario, Canada; 23 Oct 2020. Macaulay Library ML274104151, eBird S75272279. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/274104151

Hairy Woodpecker (HAWO)

Dryobates villosus

Length: 9.25 inches, Wingspan: 15 inches

The larger woodpecker (about American Robin size) with a white patch on its back.

The bill on the Hairy is a “railroad spike”, almost as long as its head.

Hairy Woodpeckers have an unbroken dark stripe from the crown to the nape. White on either side of this stripe indicates a female. A male Hairy will have red patches on either side of this stripe.

Outer tail feathers of a Hairy are all white.

Contact call is a sharp, strong peek or peech, sharper, louder and highter-pitched than Downy.

Hairy Woodpeckers prefer tree trunks and large branches. They can be found in suburbs but seems to prefer more forested areas.

Downy Woodpecker (DOWO)

Dryobates pubescens

Length: 6.75 inches, Wingspan: 12 inches

The smaller woodpecker (about House Sparrow size) with a white patch on its back.

The bill on the Downy is “dainty”, about one third the length of the head.

When seen from behind the male Downy has a single red patch on the back of its head. A female Downy will have a white “V” shape.

Outer tail feathers of a Downy will have dark bars or spots.

Contact call is a short, gentle, flat pik.

Downys are more likely to be seen in suburbs and small parks. They are acrobatic foragers, at home on twigs, branches and cattails as well as tree trunks.

 

Siouxland locations: Neighborhoods and parks, such as: Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve, Bacon Creek Park, Brown’s Lake, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, Little Sioux Park, Ponca State Park, Snyder Bend County Park, Stone State Park, and many more.

General References:

Hairy Woodpeckers (including bird sound files):

Downy Woodpeckers (including bird sound files):

House (left) and Purple (right) Finches

Top Left: House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus male © Martina Nordstrand, Union, North Carolina, United States, 27 Nov 2020. Macaulay Library ML283643061, eBird S76767715, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/283643061

Lower Left: House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus female/immature © Nic Allen, Platte, Missouri, United States, 12 Jan 2019. Macaulay Library ML134664321, eBird S51607161, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/134664321

Top Right: Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus male © Henry Trombley, Addison, Vermont, United States, 13 Apr 2018. Macaulay Library ML94263621, eBird S44526732, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/94263621

Lower Right: Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus female/immature © Terence Zahner, New York, New York, United States, 9 Dec 2018. Macaulay Library ML130043861, eBird S50550369, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/130043861

Purple Finch (PUFI)

Haemorhous purpureus

Length:  6 inches; Wingspan:  10 inches

Purple Finch are stockier, body-builder types. The head can have a slight crest. Beak is heavier and conical. The top ridge of the bill is straight (has a “straight culmen”). The tail seems short and is clearly notched.

A male Purple Finch is the bird Roger Tory Peterson described as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice” although the coloration has also been described as “old rose” or even “wine-stained”. Red is on the top of the head and extends to the back where it mixes with brown. Red can extend into the wings. The breast can have a reddish wash but the bird does not have the distinct bib of the House Finch.

Adult females are heavily streaked below. The streaks on the underparts and flanks are strong and provide a distinct contrast with the white underbelly. There is a bold head pattern with distinct white eyebrow and a dark auricular. General body color is brownish.

Purple Finch nest in Canada, along the Pacific, and in the Northeast. They are short-distance migrants that follow cone crops. In winter they migrate as far south as Florida, but they don't typically visit the Interior West at any time of year.

In migration and winter, they can be found in a wide variety of wooded and semi-open areas, including forest, suburbs, swamps, and overgrown fields. Purple Finch are calm and deliberate while feeding, less likely to be spooked.

House Finch (HOFI)

Haemorhous mexicanus

Length:  5.7 inches; Wingspan:  9.5 inches

House Finch are generally slender, with a round head, and appear to have shorter wings and a longer tail when compared with Purple Finch. The tail is almost squarish with only a slight notch compared to other finch species. The top ridge of the bill is more drastically curved downward (has a “curved culmen”). The bill is short.

Males have a headband of red color with a brown cap. Cheeks (auriculars) are brownish-greyish. The front of head, bib, and rump are typically red but can vary to orange or occasionally yellow. The bib is clearly set off from streaked underparts and flanks. Streaking is blurry.

Adult female and juveniles are grey-brown overall with blurry greyish streaks on the breast, sides and flanks. The streaks fade into a white underbelly. The head is relatively plain and lacks the distinct ear patch and eyebrow of Purple Finch.

House Finch are native to the Southwest. In the 1940s House Finch were illegally brought to New York City. Pet shop owners subsequently released the birds to avoid prosecution. House Finch now reside coast-to-coast and have also been introduced in Hawaii.

These are familiar birds of human-created habitats in cities, suburbs and farms. They are common feeder birds, they are highly social, and they are quite vocal. The typically avoid unbroken forest or grassland.

 

Siouxland locations: House Finch are year-round residents and may be found in neighborhoods and parks and are very common around bird feeders featuring sunflower seeds. Purple Finch are occasionally seen in Spring and Fall migration, most commonly seen in Winter.

General References:

  • Sibley, David Allen. 2014. The Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition. New York:Alfred A. Knopf.

  • Dunn, JL and Alderfer, J. 2017. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Seventh Edition. Washington:National Geographic Society.

House Finch (including sound files):

 Purple Finch (including sound files):

House vs Purple References: