Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827)

Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus, breeds from north-west USA through Middle America to Colombia and belongs to the woodpecker family Picidae in the order Piciformes. It is a forest bird linked with oak woodland in coastal and foothill areas, and it uses dead trees or dead parts of trees for nesting. A notable feature of the species is its reliance on acorns, which it keeps in drilled storage holes in granaries or storage trees. It was first described by Swainson in 1827.

Order

Piciformes

Family

Picidae — Woodpeckers

Breeding range

North America, Middle America, South America: nw USA to Colombia