Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
GenusMelanerpes (Melanerpes Woodpeckers)
SpeciesMelanerpes formicivorus (Acorn Woodpecker)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

1 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

29,061 Verified sightings across all 34 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ 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 Tikal National Park

Melanerpes aurifrons

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Melanerpes santacruzi

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Melanerpes pucherani

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Melanerpes pygmaeus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Campephilus guatemalensis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Dryocopus lineatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Celeus castaneus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Colaptes rubiginosus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Leuconotopicus fumigatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sphyrapicus varius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Dryobates scalaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ramphastos sulfuratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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

← Back to Tikal National Park

Acorn Woodpecker

About the Acorn Woodpecker

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Velasquez's Woodpecker

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Yucatán Woodpecker

Pale-billed Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

Chestnut-colored Woodpecker

Golden-olive Woodpecker

Smoky-brown Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Keel-billed Toucan

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found