Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus                              Western United States

Acorn woodpecker colonies, which typically number three to 10, are built around a cooperative effort to gather and store enough acorns to last the winter. The acorn woodpeckers jointly drill holes all over an oak tree and then fill the holes with a communal bounty. Unlike other species that hide their stored foodstuffs, the acorn woodpeckers leave their food exposed, making it easy pickings for squirrels and jays.