Colonies have one to three breeding females and up to eight breeding males, as well as young birds from previous broods. Like the Pinyon Jay, another social, nut-loving bird, the Acorn Woodpecker lives, breeds, and nests in groups. Why do Acorn Woodpeckers take such drastic measures to store food? This caching is actually an effective strategy for surviving the winter, allowing the birds to skip the perils of migration and stay on the same territory year-round.īreeding and Feeding Parental Perils and Communal Concerns Sometimes these woodpeckers choose more unusual storage spots: One Arizona landowner discovered that these industrious birds had stashed 485 pounds of acorns in his wooden water tank! In some parts of its range, the Acorn Woodpecker does not create a "granary tree," but instead stores acorns in natural holes and cracks in bark. Since the acorns are visible, the Acorn Woodpeckers also must defend their larder against potential cache-robbers such as Steller's Jays, White-breasted Nuthatch es, and Spotted Towhee s. Granary maintenance takes up a significant amount of this woodpecker's time, as acorn stocks need to be constantly turned and moved to different holes as they dry and shrink. A Bushel of BirdsĪ group of Acorn Woodpeckers is known as a "bushel" - a perfect description for this bird's unusual habit of squirreling away large quantities of acorns in granaries or "acorn trees." Some of these granary trees have up to 50,000 holes - drilled, stocked, and maintained by extended Acorn Woodpecker families. It's a medium-sized bird, bigger than a Downy Woodpecker and a bit smaller than its close, but more easterly, relative the Red-headed Woodpecker.
The eye-catching Acorn Woodpecker's head is boldly patterned in black, white, and red, punctuated with wild-looking white eyes that give it a clownish look.
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