Acorn Woodpecker
Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57175365" class="extiw" title="d:Q57175365"><span title="German-American photographer, Wikipedian, and Executive Director of the Wiki Education Foundation">Frank Schulenburg</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
NameAcorn Woodpecker
Common NameAcorn Woodpecker
Scientific NameMelanerpes formicivorus
FamilyPicidae
Wingspan (cm)42
Length (cm)22
Weight (g)80
Plumage DetailsAdults have a glossy black back, wings, and tail, with a contrasting white belly streaked with black. The head features a distinctive red cap (males have more red extending to the forehead, females have a black band between a white forehead and the red cap), a white eye, a black mask, and a creamy white patch around the bill and throat, often with a yellow tint on the throat.
Vocalization / CallTheir vocalizations are distinctive and often described as a loud, raucous 'waka-waka-waka' or 'jacob-jacob-jacob' call, used for communication within their communal groups.
Primary Dietomnivore
Primary Habitatsoak woodland, pine-oak forest, riparian forest, suburban areas with mature trees
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and into northern South America (Colombia). Their distribution is closely tied to the presence of oak trees.
Identifying FeaturesRed cap (males with more extensive red), Black back and wings, White belly with black streaks, White eye with black mask, Yellowish throat patch, Communal acorn storage behavior in 'granary trees'
Description
The Acorn Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker known for its striking black, white, and red plumage. These highly social birds are famous for their unique behavior of storing thousands of acorns in granary trees, drilling holes to individually wedge each nut.
