Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), or Carpintero bellotero in Spanish, love acorns—they spend a lot of their time storing them in granary trees. When they aren’t eating acorns, they feed on insects, sometimes catching them in flight. The Acorn Woodpecker is intimately linked to San Diego County’s oak woodlands and the bird’s distribution is almost identical to that of oak woodland. To learn more about the Acorn Woodpecker, visit the San Diego County Bird Atlas.

Did you know? These woodpeckers live communally in groups sharing mates and even nests. Their unique social behaviors have been studied intensively leading to new perspectives on animal behavior. 

AUDIO CREDIT: Jason Reinier, Earprint Productions

PHOTO CREDIT: Thomas A. Blackman