Identificaciones de benmeredyk

I didn’t know Acorn Woodpeckers come to hummingbird feeders. They usually come by several times a day to take a bath or get a drink from the water feature. Oak Woodlands are nearby. Acorn Woodpeckers always make me happy; I love seeing their little clown faces. How many Acorn Woodpeckers can fit into one Pyrex dish birdbath? https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181302227
Link to close-up photo observation of the woodpecker’s tongue: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189914662

Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is a small woodpecker, 23cm (9 inches) long, with strong claws, short legs, and stiff tail feathers. Male has larger red cap at crown than female. They are sociable birds, generally found in small, vocal colonies of 2-12 birds. In the fall they drill small holes into tree trunks (or telephone poles) and pound an acorn into each hole for their winter food supply. Colonies use the same "granary tree" year after year. They are often found in California Oak woodlands.

"These colorful natives live in large groups in western oak woodlands where they consistently store thousands of acorns in trees helped by their fascinating social dynamics. Family groups hold territories, and one member is always on alert to guard the hoard from thieves while others race through the trees giving parrot-like waka-waka calls that serve as alerts and warnings for competitors to stay away. The family groups span generations, as young woodpeckers stay with their parents for several years to help raise more clutches. All members of an acorn Woodpecker family group spend much of their time storing acorns in a granary tree, which may see up to 50,000 holes."
(excerpt from Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History website)

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acorn_Woodpecker

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/acorn-woodpecker

Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map of Acorn Woodpecker: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Melanerpes-formicivorus

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017, pp.306-307.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, pp. 245-245.

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 304.

E Bird https://ebird.org/species/acowoo/

An excellent book-- (The) Monterey Pine Forest: Coastal California's Living Legacy, 2nd. ed, The Monterey Pine Forest Watch, 2018, p. 17.

Merlin Bird ID (great app available for Iphones) by The Cornell Lab (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php