Acorn Woodpecker - Melanerpes formicivora

Acorn Woodpeckers are the most common woodpeckers in California. They were so named because of their habit of storing acorns in crevices and holes of trees, most of which they themselves drill. These birds are quite noisy with their parrot-like croaking. Another peculiar habit of Acorn Woodpeckers is their communal nesting. Several females lay eggs in a single nest and the whole community - including the males and juveniles - take turns in raising the chicks.

Acorn Woodpeckers live year-round in oak and pine-oak woodlands of western and southwestern USA all the way down to Central America.

Acorn Woodpecker - Melanerpes formicivora
Irvine Regional Park, California
February 9, 2008

Canon 20D, 300mm lens, handheld
ISO-400, f8, 1/1000