Many woodland creatures love munching on acorns, but nothing is quite like the acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus). This medium-sized woodpecker is found across Central America and the western United States. They use their impressive pecking ability to create an incredible storage system for their precious acorns.
Acorn woodpeckers create “granaries” or “storage trees” out of dead branches, trees, houses, or even utility poles. Used year after year, the birds store their winter food stash in the perfectly formed holes they peck in the dead wood. Given that these impressive food stores can have upwards of 50,000 holes, they aren't just the work of a single acorn woodpecker. The species lives in family groups of up to 12 birds that share nests and even communally raise chicks. They also work as a team to build the granary, which future generations will use to keep themselves fed throughout the year.
While there might be concerns that other animals could find these storage trees and nab the acorns for themselves, the woodpeckers ensure that won't happen. They manage to wedge the acorns in so tightly that anyone looking for a free snack would have a hard time removing them from the holes.
As the acorns dry out, they shrink slightly, making them easier for the acorn woodpeckers to remove once it's feeding time. To ensure that nothing is too loose before they're ready to eat, a member of the group checks all the acorns from time to time and moves any shrunken acorns to a smaller hole. These complex social behaviors have long fascinated ornithologists, and their behavior is widely studied.
Though acorn woodpeckers are closely associated with acorns, it's actually not their primary food source throughout the year. They prefer insects, saps, and fruits, relying on their backup food source of acorns to get them through the winter.
Acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) are medium-sized woodpeckers found across Central America and the western United States.
They work as a team and use their impressive pecking ability to create an incredible storage system for their precious acorns.
Called “granaries” or “storage trees,” they can fit upwards of 50,000 acorns and are used by generations of woodpeckers.
One team member even checks to ensure no acorns are loose and, if they are, moves them to a smaller hole so no other animals can steal them.
Learn more about the fascinating acorn woodpecker in this video from the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology.
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