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The Hairy Woodpecker and the Downy Woodpecker are remarkably similar in pattern, differing mainly in size and bill shape. They often occur together, but the Hairy, a larger bird, requires larger trees; it is usually less common, especially in the east, and less likely to show up in suburbs and city parks. In its feeding, it does more pounding and excavating in trees than most smaller woodpeckers, consuming large numbers of wood-boring insects.

Often quiet and inconspicuous, the American Three-toed Woodpecker may perch motionless against a tree trunk for minutes at a time, making it easy to overlook. In some places the American Three-toed Woodpecker provides the most effective control of the spruce bark beetle, a major forest pest.