Day 9: Acorn Woodpecker

Species: Acorn Woodpecker

Current status: Released

Number of days in care: 21 days

This Acorn Woodpecker arrived at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network on July 5th after being discovered at the El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara. It was likely grounded due to a suspected window collision, leaving it unable to fly. This bird joined the many birds we get every year the day after Independence Day due to noise and light disruption in their environment from fireworks.

The juvenile male presented with dehydration, ataxia, and a fused eyelid, as well as a mass near the right side of his skull from the impact of the hit. He underwent extensive treatment, including surgical removal of the mass on July 19th, and showed steady improvement thereafter. 

After three weeks in care, he was deemed ready for release and was returned to the wild on July 26th at the El Encanto Hotel grounds in Santa Barbara.

Acorn Woodpecker Fun Facts:

• Acorn Woodpeckers are obsessed with hoarding, often filling a single tree with up to 50,000 acorn-filled holes. These “granary trees” become their primary food storage sites, each hole holding an acorn for the winter months.

• With their complex social systems, Acorn Woodpeckers live in large, tight-knit groups. These groups can have up to seven breeding males and three breeding females, with young woodpeckers often staying with their parents for several years, helping raise more chicks.

• Acorn Woodpeckers have their own regional languages and tapping patterns. Listen to a sampling here.

• Not limited to nature, Acorn Woodpeckers have adapted to using human-made structures for storing their acorns. From fence posts to car radiators, these crafty birds have been known to store acorns in the most unexpected places.