hairy woodpecker
noun
: a common North American woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) closely resembling the downy woodpecker but larger with a longer bill
Examples of hairy woodpecker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Davie Park filled in some gaps in our list with such goodies as a brown creeper, pine warbler and hairy woodpecker.
—
Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
The hairy woodpecker and the downy woodpecker are quite similar and can be difficult for novice birders to distinguish.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Oct. 2021
One challenge was to discern the hairy woodpecker from its doppelganger, the downy woodpecker.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 17 July 2019
Red-bellied, downy and hairy woodpeckers love peanuts, a high-protein, high-energy food, as do other songbirds.
—Evan MacDonald, cleveland.com, 25 Dec. 2017
The forest also is home to bear, coyote, deer and birds from hairy woodpeckers to red-breasted sapsuckers.
—Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, 25 Dec. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
The hairy woodpecker and the downy woodpecker are quite similar and can be difficult for novice birders to distinguish.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Oct. 2021
One challenge was to discern the hairy woodpecker from its doppelganger, the downy woodpecker.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 17 July 2019
Red-bellied, downy and hairy woodpeckers love peanuts, a high-protein, high-energy food, as do other songbirds.
—Evan MacDonald, cleveland.com, 25 Dec. 2017
The forest also is home to bear, coyote, deer and birds from hairy woodpeckers to red-breasted sapsuckers.
—Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, 25 Dec. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near hairy woodpecker
Cite this Entry
“Hairy woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hairy%20woodpecker. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share