Hairy Woodpecker – Pine Coulee, AB
During a recent 10000 Bird Tours outing with Meadowlark Birding Tours, we visited Pine Coulee Park in Alberta. Our group was thrilled to spot a Hairy Woodpecker at Pine Coulee, AB, working diligently along a tree trunk in the campground. This beautiful woodpecker, often confused with the smaller Downy Woodpecker, stood out thanks to a few key identification features. Clearly visible in our photo is the long, stout bill nearly the length of the head. The other notable feature is the unmarked white outer tail feathers. The red patch on the nape confirmed it as a male Hairy Woodpecker. The females of the same species carry no red on the back of their head. The third giveaway to tell Downy woodpeckers vs Hairy woodpeckers is the larger and bolder bird in profile than its Downy counterpart. For birders visiting Alberta, Pine Coulee is an excellent spot to compare these similar species up close. Indeed, birders can often find the Hairy Woodpecker at Pine Coulee, AB, using its unique features to identify it.
Our Pine Coulee Park birding trip was richly rewarding, as captured in our complete eBird checklist. We recorded 29 bird species including a memorable sighting of a Sharp-tailed Grouse, sitting confidently on an old wooden fence. We were also very lucky to see the Harris’ Sparrow that had stopped over to refill. Other highlights included Western Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, Ring-necked Pheasant, Western Kingbird, Say’s Phoebe, American Kestrel, and Clay-colored Sparrow. The wide-open grasslands and aspen groves of southern Alberta offered ideal conditions for both prairie and woodland birds. We had expert guidance from Gavin at Meadowlark, who was gracious enough to take us out. This was a top-tier birdwatching experience in Alberta that we’d highly recommend to birders of all levels.
