Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
ACORN WOODPECKER – (Species Account Blog #118)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Piciformes – Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans and Honeyguides
- FAMILY: Picidae – Woodpeckers,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Melanerpes formicivorus
The Acorn Woodpecker is a common, conspicuous inhabitant of foothill and montane woodlands in North America, from southwestern Washington, Oregon, California, southwestern United States, and western Mexico, extending south through the highlands of Central America to the northern Andes of Colombia. Throughout its range, this species is closely associated with oaks (genus Quercus) and is most commonly found in pine–oak woodlands. It is probably best known for its highly social habits and unique method of storing acorns in specialized trees known as storage trees or granaries. (from Birds of the World)
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we observed Acorn Woodpeckers many times in the mid to upper elevation areas.
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 
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