Hairy Woodpecker Catches Attention With Its Unusual Coloring

This unusually colored Hairy Woodpecker caught the attention of many viewers during its multiple visits to the Cornell Lab FeederWatch Cam on May 30! What might be causing the yellow-brown tinge on this female’s normally white feathers?

Hairy Woodpeckers in certain regions, like the Pacific Northwest, display a natural coffee-stained appearance where we’d expect to see white feathers on eastern woodpeckers. But this particular bird seems to have stained feathers, potentially caused by foraging or nesting near specific tree types in its environment. One likely explanation could be tannins from a black walnut tree, which can leave visible marks on feathers during regular activity.