I have photographed a lot of Acorn Woodpeckers since they are very common, and I never really thought much about their name except they probably eat acorns. But somebody explained it to me on this last trip and it’s fascinating! Yes, Acorn Woodpeckers eat acorns. But they live in highly social family groups of a dozen or more, and work together to raise their young, gather and store acorns, and protect those acorns from squirrels, jays and other Acorn Woodpeckers.  They store the acorns they collect in small holes they peck in trees.  Then members of the flock take turns guarding those acorns from being stolen.

After learning that I saw three Acorn Woodpeckers on a telephone pole acting as a group and paid attention. It’s difficult to see because the sun was behind the pole, but the telephone poles have netting on them specifically to deter acorn woodpeckers from using them as acorn granaries. The tree clearly shows what they do to trees (and telephone poles!). I’ll never look at acorn woodpeckers the same again.