Why has the female Hairy Woodpecker in my backyard lost her tail feathers?
The bird may have escaped from a predator, such as a cat, or molted as a result of trauma, diet, lice, etc. If cold weather recently affected your area, it’s also possible that the woodpecker sheltered in a tree hollow overnight, and its tail feathers froze to the cavity wall. When the bird flew away the following morning, it pulled out its own feathers. This is a temporary condition that will resolve itself with the next seasonal molt.