Acorn Woodpecker
354461
214102447
2008-05-22T02:44:52Z
TheMile
97137
Reverted 1 edit by [[Special:Contributions/209.180.232.250|209.180.232.250]]. using [[WP:TWINKLE|TW]]
{{Taxobox
| name = Acorn Woodpecker
| status = LC
| image = AcornWoodpecker23.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[bird|Aves]]
| ordo = [[Piciformes]]
| familia = [[Picidae]]
| genus = ''[[Melanerpes]]''
| species = '''''M. formicivorus'''''
| binomial = ''Melanerpes formicivorus''
| binomial_authority = ([[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1827)
}}
The '''Acorn Woodpecker''' (''Melanerpes formicivorus'') is a medium-sized [[woodpecker]], 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g.
The adult has a black head, back, wings and tail, white forehead, throat, belly and rump. The eyes are white. The adult male has a red cap starting at the forehead, whereas females have a black area between the forehead and the cap. The white neck, throat and forehead patches are distinctive identifiers.
==Breeding communities==
The breeding habitat is forested areas with [[oak]]s in the hills of coastal California and the [[Southwestern United States|southwestern]] [[United States]] south to [[Colombia]]. This species may occur at low elevations in the north of its range, but rarely below 1000m in [[Central America]], and it breeds up to the timberline. The breeding pair excavate a nest in a large cavity in a dead tree or a dead part of a tree. A group of adults may participate in nesting activities: Field studies have shown that breeding groups range from monogamous pairs to [[breeding collective]]s of seven males and three females, plus up to 10 nonbreeding [[helpers at the nest|helpers]]. Young have been found with multiple paternity.<ref>Joste, N., Ligon, D., and Stacey, P. (1985) ''Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology''; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology '''17'''(1):39-41</ref>
[[Image:Acorn.jpg|thumb|left|Acorn hoarded by Acorn Woodpecker]]
Acorn Woodpeckers are larder hoarders. Breeding groups gather acorns and create a granary by drilling holes in a dead tree, or a dead branch on a live tree, and stuffing acorns into them. The acorns are visible, and the group defends the tree against potential cache robbers. The acorns represent a significant part of their diet; they also eat insects, picking them off tree bark or catching them in flight, and in addition fruit, seeds and sometimes tree sap.
This bird is a permanent resident throughout its range. They may relocate to another area if [[acorn]]s are not readily available.
It is sedentary and very sociable.
== References ==
<references />
* {{IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=47289|title=Melanerpes formicivorus|downloaded=10 May 2006}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* Haydock J., Koenig W. D., & Stanback, M. T. (2001). Shared parentage and incest avoidance in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker. ''Molecular Ecology, 10'', 1515-1525.
* {{Harvard reference|Surname1=Stiles|Given1=F Gary|Surname2=Skutch|Given2=Alexander Frank|Title=A guide to the birds of Costa Rica|Year=1989|Publisher=Comstock|Place=[[Ithaca]], [[New York]]|ID=ISBN 0-8014-2287-6}}
==External links==
{{Commons|Melanerpes formicivorus}}
* [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Acorn_Woodpecker.html Cornell Lab of Ornithology species account]
* [http://ca.geocities.com/woodpeck2006/acorn.html Acorn Woodpecker], a bibliographic resource
* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4070id.html USGS]
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=3800 Acorn Woodpecker videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/10403800.htm Stamps] (for [[El Salvador]], [[Mexico]]) with RangeMap
* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=acorn+woodpecker&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Acorn Woodpecker photo gallery] VIREO-(distinctive white face-throat patches)
* [http://digitalrepository.fws.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Birds&CISOPTR=195&REC=2 Photo-High Res] FWS-Fish & Wildlife Service: Digital Repository
[[Category:Woodpeckers]]
[[Category:Melanerpes]]
[[Category:Birds of the United States|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Native birds of the Southwestern United States|Woodpecker, Acorn]] <!-- also endemic(a Vagrant according to "www.natureserve.org") in small areas of western Canada, Brit Col, etc -->
[[Category:Native birds of the Pacific region U.S.|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of Mexico|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of Sierra Madre Occidental|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of Sierra Madre Oriental|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of Cordillera Neovolcanica Mexico|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of the Madrean sky islands|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of Central America|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[Category:Birds of El Salvador|Woodpecker, Acorn]]<!-- Because of the Stamp issued-->
[[Category:Birds of Colombia|Woodpecker, Acorn]]
[[da:Agernspætte]]
[[de:Eichelspecht]]
[[es:Melanerpes formicivorus]]
[[fr:Pic glandivore]]
[[it:Melanerpes formicivorus]]
[[la:Melanerpes formicivorus]]
[[hu:Gyűjtő küllő]]
[[uk:Дятел жолудевий]]