Acorn Woodpecker
Acorn WoodpeckerAcorn WoodpeckerAcorn WoodpeckerAcorn Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Yosemite National Park
2,207 Verified sightings at Yosemite National Park From 2019 to 2026
22,961 Verified sightings across all 25 parks From 2019 to 2026
December 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 Yosemite National Park

Lewis's Woodpecker
LC

Lewis's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes lewis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Flicker
LC

Northern Flicker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colaptes auratus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Hairy Woodpecker
LC

Hairy Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leuconotopicus villosus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
White-headed Woodpecker
LC

White-headed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leuconotopicus albolarvatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Red-breasted Sapsucker
LC

Red-breasted Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus ruber

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryocopus pileatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Downy Woodpecker
LC

Downy Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates pubescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Williamson's Sapsucker
LC

Williamson's Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus thyroideus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-backed Woodpecker
LC

Black-backed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Picoides arcticus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Nuttall's Woodpecker
LC

Nuttall's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates nuttallii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
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 Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

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 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
4 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~40%
5 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
6 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
7 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
8 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
9 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
10 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
11 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
12 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
13 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
14 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
15 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
16 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
18 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
19 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
20 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
21 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
22 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
23 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
24 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
25 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

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

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Acorn Woodpecker sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 2,207 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

December has the highest sighting rate for Acorn Woodpecker in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.

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