Melanerpes formicivorus
l 9", ws 17.5" wt 2.8 oz
The Acorn Woodpecker is a bird of the American west. Usually they are found in small flocks or family groups. Their loud raucous call was one of the inspirations for the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. Acorn Woodpeckers gather acorns from oak trees and store them in granaries (one is pictured on the right). It is apparently still unclear whether the acorns are stored for themselves, or because they act as homes for beetle larvae that the birds eat. Probably both is true.
One of the most interesting sights I've seen is an oak tree sprouting from a granary high up in a palm tree. Obviously some of the acorns are not parasitized by beetle larvae - and this one sprouted! The tree was about three feet tall when I last saw it, and had lasted for at least a couple years, growing about forty feet up in the palm.
