Acorn Woodpecker Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
The photo above shows the most commonly found
sign of this bird's presence - the acorns they store in granary trees.
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Acorn woodpeckers use the same storage trees over and over, year after year. Generations of the woodpeckers will use the same tree, which is called a granary tree. Jays and squirrels will visit the granary trees to take the acorns. The acorn woodpeckers cooperate together to defend their granary from other animals. Over the winter, the birds use the stored acorns for food. In the fall, when the acorns begin to ripen and fall from the oak trees, the holes in the granary trees are once again filled by these busy birds. Acorn woodpeckers will also peck holes in the wooden siding of buildings to use as granaries, which makes their activities unpopular with homeowners. The call of the acorn woodpecker sounds like laughter. Their distinctive calls can most often be heard during the early part of the day and in the evening.
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| This is a granary tree. | An acorn woodpecker was feeding on this previously stored acorn. |
One of the sounds I hear frequently in the woods is the raucous call of the acorn woodpeckers. There is a group of them that lives near me. They can be seen storing the acorns and rapping on trees and buildings to make the holes in the fall. In winter, they remove the acorns and eat them. They are very bold birds and will chase away jays that are competing with them for food. Their bright coloration makes them a very beautiful animal.
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This acorn woodpecker peeked out of its hole in an oak tree. I snapped several photos of it before it flew off. Then, another little head popped out of the hole, this bird's mate. I then left them alone and they went back to their hole. | |
| The home of the acorn woodpeckers. |
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Find Acorn Woodpecker posters, greeting cards, postage stamps and more in my new store.
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Now available: "Animals Don't Cover
Their Tracks - An Introduction to Animal Tracking" on CD! (Version 3.0)
New drawings, more species, more photos, more extensive sections on tracking
humans, more detailed directions for plaster casting, mystery tracks section,
tracking stories section, and more. The CD features over 100 species, including
special bonus sections with the tracks of some African and Australian
animals. A large section on tracking lost people for search and rescue is
included, with over four pages of photos showing the details of tracks and
signs people leave. Easy to use format. This web site is limited
by bandwidth, but the CD-ROM is not. The CD is available in my online store at:
www.dirt-time.com
Works with Mac or PC. Happy tracking!!
What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's animal tracks coloring book, T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you! |
| Find other tracking products: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459* |
| Also visit these fine
stores for more products of interest: NDN Pride shop - For Indian Pride items for all tribes. Custom items available on request. ASL Signs of Love - For anyone who uses or is learning ASL, American Sign Language. Custom name items and more are available here. Sales from all stores give commissions to Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den, which helps keep this site online as a free service. We are celebrating ten years online this year! |
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Looking for a Gift? This site lets you customize a gift card with your own photo. Commissions earned when you buy from this link help
keep Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den online! Thank you! |
Got a
woodpecker story? E-mail me and tell me about it.You are visitor number:
Copyright © 1997-2008. Text, photos, videos, and drawings by Kim A. Cabrera
