General Description: Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) are black and white woodpeckers with a red cap. The black-and-white face pattern resembles the painted face of a clown, and sometimes these birds are affectionately called "clown-face woodpeckers." The entire back is black, the underparts are white with black streaks coming off a black bib, the eye is white, and the chin shows a faint yellow wash. In flight, the wings and rump show white patches.

Taxonomy: Piciformes, Picidae, Picinae.

Favored Habitat: Areas with oak trees.

Where to Find: Around Las Vegas, look for Acorn Woodpeckers in urban areas with oak trees during winter. Acorn Woodpeckers are common in the oak belts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, southward into Central America. Birds occasionally come to Las Vegas during the winter.

Comments: Acorn Woodpeckers are social birds that live in colonies. During fall and winter, they collect acorns and store them in holes pecked in trees (granaries) for times when acorns are scarce. The entire colony works to guard the granary. During summer, the diet of Acorn Woodpeckers is similar to that of other woodpecker: they eat insects.