12/9/2023 0 Comments Acorn woodpecker eye![]() Stokes, Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 1st ed., 2010, p. Sibley, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America ,1st ed., 2003, p. Peterson, Western Birds, 3rd ed., 1990, p. Peterson, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, 4th ed., 2010, p. ![]() ![]() Parmeter and Wight, Birds of Sonoma County California, Update (2000-2010), 2012, p. Lukas, Bay Area Birds: From Sonoma County to Monterey Bay, 2012, pp. Kaufman, Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2000, p. 228įloyd, Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 2008, p. 344įix and Bezener, Birds of Northern California, 2000, p. 373-374Įhrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, The Birder's Handbook, paperback edition, 1988, p. 312ĭunne, Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion, 2006, pp. 282ĭunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th ed., 2011, p. 91ĭunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 5th ed., 2006, p. 274īurridge, ed., Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas, 1995, p. 78īrinkley, National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007, p. Females very much the same but red on head is restricted to the back half of the crown.īolander and Parmeter, Birds of Sonoma County California, rev. Typical undulating woodpecker flight pattern. Tail black but notice the prominent white rump patch.The rump patch and white patches in the otherwise black wings are conspicuous features in flight. Upper back is actually tinged a deep Prussian blue, but the bird generally looks simply black, except in strong light. Black at the upper breast with streaking from there down the belly, with streaking heaviest near the upper breast. Pale iris, usually whitish, but sometimes tending toward amber. Black around the eye and at the base of the black bill. Males (pictured above) have an all-red crown, white forehead and yellowish throat. Once heard, never forgotten.įrom the neck down, the Acorn Woodpecker is fairly sedately patterned, all in black and white, but garishly decorated from the neck up, its face often described as clown-like. Voice sounds like a cynical, gravelly laugh. The large oak in front of Paradise Ridge Winery is a communal nesting site. There is a large granary pole at Spring Lake, for example. Stores acorns in holes excavated in “granary trees,” which may be trees of any kind or even utility poles (photo at left). Dependent on acorns as its main food source, but Acorn Woodpeckers will eat insects (the latin species name means “ant eater”) and in the summer months drink tree sap, when available. Loud, active, and hard to miss when present. ![]() Nests communally, using oaks and other trees. Forms social groups of closely related individuals. Breeds virtually everywhere it’s present in the county. Likely to be found anywhere there are mature oaks-which is most of the county except right at the coast and the southern marshy areas bordering San Pablo Bay. Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.Common in oak and mixed woodlands throughout Sonoma County. Larder in a pine tree, Sequoia National Park, CaliforniaĪcorn Woodpecker working on a Fan Palm treeĪcorn Woodpecker working on a birdseed feeder Tucking an acorn into a niche in the bark of a date palm tree If you were a tasty acorn, this might be the last face you'd ever see!Īcorn Woodpecker at peanut butter feeder Portal, ArizonaĪcorn Woodpecker larder tree Portal, Arizona During summer, the diet of Acorn Woodpeckers is similar to that of other woodpecker: they eat insects. The entire colony works to guard the granary. During fall and winter, they collect acorns and store them in holes pecked in trees (granaries) for times when acorns are scarce. Birds occasionally come to Las Vegas during the winter.Ĭomments: Acorn Woodpeckers are social birds that live in colonies. Acorn Woodpeckers are common in the oak belts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, southward into Central America. Where to Find: Around Las Vegas, look for Acorn Woodpeckers in urban areas with oak trees during winter. In flight, the wings and rump show white patches. The black-and-white face pattern resembles the painted face of a clown, and sometimes these birds are affectionately called "clown-face woodpeckers." The entire back is black, the underparts are white with black streaks coming off a black bib, the eye is white, and the chin shows a faint yellow wash. General Description: Acorn Woodpeckers ( Melanerpes formicivorus)Īre black and white woodpeckers with a red cap. Wildlife Around Las Vegas, Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)Īcorn Woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus)īirds Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas
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