Acorn Woodpecker
Acorn WoodpeckerAcorn WoodpeckerAcorn WoodpeckerAcorn Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
704 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
29,061 Verified sightings across all 34 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Acorn Woodpecker

The acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized woodpecker with a length of around 20 cm (8 in), and an average weight of 85 g (3.0 oz). It is found across Central America, as well as North into the western United States and South into parts of Colombia.

The acorn woodpecker was formally described in 1827 by the English naturalist William Swainson under the binomial name Picus formicivorus from a specimen collected in Mexico. The specific epithet combines the Latin formica meaning "ant" with -vorus meaning "eating". The type locality is Temascaltepec in Mexico. The acorn woodpecker is one of 24 species now placed in the genus Melanerpes that was introduced by Swainson in 1832. Within Melanerpes the acorn woodpecker is sister to a clade containing two South American species: the white woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus) and the white-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum).

Seven subspecies are recognised: M. f. bairdi Ridgway, 1881 – Oregon (USA) to north Baja California (Mexico) M. f. angustifrons Baird, SF, 1870 – south Baja California (Mexico) M. f. formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) – southwest USA to southeast Mexico

M. f. albeolus Todd, 1910 – east Chiapas... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Gila Woodpecker
LC

Gila Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes uropygialis

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Lewis's Woodpecker
LC

Lewis's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes lewis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
LC

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates scalaris

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Northern Flicker
LC Endemic

Northern Flicker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colaptes auratus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Gilded Flicker
LC

Gilded Flicker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colaptes chrysoides

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-naped Sapsucker
LC

Red-naped Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
LC

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus varius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Williamson's Sapsucker
LC

Williamson's Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus thyroideus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-breasted Sapsucker
LC

Red-breasted Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus ruber

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hairy Woodpecker
LC Endemic

Hairy Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leuconotopicus villosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~70%
2 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~70%
3 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
4 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
5 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
6 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~40%
7 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
8 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
9 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
10 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
11 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
12 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
13 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
14 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
15 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
16 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
17 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
18 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
19 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
20 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
22 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
24 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
25 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
27 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
29 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
30 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
31 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
32 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
33 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
34 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Acorn Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Acorn Woodpecker sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 704 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Acorn Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Acorn Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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