Definition of hairy woodpecker
: a common North American woodpecker (Picoides villosus) closely resembling the downy woodpecker but larger with a longer bill
Examples of hairy woodpecker in a Sentence
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One challenge was to discern the hairy woodpecker from its doppelganger, the downy woodpecker.
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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.
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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.
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Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, 25 Dec. 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hairy woodpecker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Hairy woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hairy%20woodpecker. Accessed 22 Sep. 2021.
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Time Traveler for hairy woodpecker
The first known use of hairy woodpecker was circa 1728
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