Acorn Woodpecker

We found this woodpecker in a camping area at Cochise Stronghold in southeastern Arizona (about 35 miles from Willcox).

It was quite low, just off a path, and was remarkably tame, remaining in this position for over five minutes--thus we suspect it's a young bird.* It's a male, given that its red cap begins at the white on its forehead (females have a strip of black in between). Fun to view LARGE!

*Edit: An ornithologist friend thinks it's an adult: He says, "The presence of multiple generations of flight feathers (some fresh, some worn) and the total absence of any pale markings on tail feathers both suggest an adult rather than a hatch-year bird."

Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) are quite common in wooded areas at medium elevations (here perhaps 5,000 feet/1500 meters) in the southwestern U.S. They are active and noisy, sometimes a bit clownish in their tuxedo-like plumage. They do feed on acorns, which they store in crevices. I have photos of them on a telephone pole with cracks visibly full of acorns.

Earlier blips of Gila Woodpeckers on this trip are here and here.