I was up cross-country skiing in the vicinity of Breckenridge and Silverthorne recently and now I have a woodpecker question. While I was going along, I heard a woodpecker on a tree and decided to investigate. I pulled out my binoculars and saw what looked like a strange Hairy Woodpecker. This bird was about the size of a Hairy, but it was flaking bark off the tree and had gray barring on the flanks. Going through the guide when I got home, this may have been an American Three-toed Woodpecker as both the behavior and barring match. I didn't see any red (for Hairy) or yellow (for Three-toed) color on the head.
My question for you is: Will a Hairy Woodpecker in Colorado every show gray barring on the flanks?
Assuming that Hairys don't show this barring, I think I likely saw a Three-toed.
Thanks
John Jones
Lakewood, CO