by Ranger Aide Shawn Davis

If you’ve strolled through Sycamore Grove Park, you may have heard it before you saw it: waka-waka-waka!, check! check!, and the occasional squeaky wee-urr. That lively soundtrack belongs to one of our park’s most charismatic residents: the Acorn Woodpecker. 

With their clownish faces, bright white eyes, glossy black backs, and bold red caps (on both males and females), acorn woodpeckers look as though they dressed for a costume party and never quite left. Their striking facial pattern—white forehead and throat framed by black, with that splash of red on top—makes them easy to spot as they swoop between our oaks, walnuts and sycamores. And swoop they do, often traveling in tight-knit groups that chatter constantly, as if narrating their entire day for all to hear! 

It’s a Family Affair  

Unlike many birds that pair off and guard a private nest, acorn woodpeckers are all about community. They live in cooperative family groups that can include anywhere from a handful to a dozen or more individuals. Think of it as a bustling, multigenerational household. 

Within each group, several males and several females may share breeding responsibilities. They nest together in tree cavities, often ones they’ve excavated themselves—and everyone pitches in. Some birds incubate the eggs, others feed the nestlings, and still others stand guard. Older siblings often help raise the next generation, gaining valuable experience along the way. It’s teamwork at its finest, and it’s one reason you’ll often see multiple acorn woodpeckers darting in and out of the same tree. 

The Great Acorn Pantry 

Of course, you can’t talk about acorn woodpeckers without mentioning their most famous habit: acorn storage. 

These birds are master planners. Each fall, when the oaks produce their bounty, acorn woodpeckers get to work. Using their strong, chisel-like bills, they drill neat, snug holes into dead tree trunks, fence posts, utility poles, and even wooden buildings. Then, one by one, they wedge acorns into the holes, creating what’s known as a “granary tree.” 

At first glance, a granary looks like a piece of folk art—hundreds, sometimes thousands, of evenly spaced holes, each holding a single acorn. But this is no random collection. The woodpeckers carefully tend their larders. As acorns dry and shrink, they move them to smaller holes to keep them secure. If a rival squirrel or bird tries to sneak a snack, the woodpeckers respond with loud scolding calls and coordinated chases. 

In Sycamore Grove Park, you might spot a favorite granary snag along a trail. Stand quietly nearby, and you may see the operation in action: one bird arriving with an acorn clasped in its bill, another inspecting stored nuts, and a third acting as lookout.  

What Do They Sound Like? 

Acorn woodpeckers are not subtle. Their signature call—a very loud, laughing waka-waka-waka—rings through the trees like just like the old cartoon character Woody the Woodpecker you may remember. They also produce sharp, staccato checks and softer, squealing notes during close interactions. When alarmed, they let out emphatic rattles that send the whole group into alert mode. Their calls knit the family together, reinforcing bonds and coordinating their collective efforts. 

Fun Facts About Acorn Woodpeckers 

1. Pecking Speed: Woodpeckers peck at an incredibly fast rate, striking wood up to 20 times per second. They can perform this action between 8,000 to 12,000 times per day, with their heads moving at speeds of 13 to 15 miles per hour.  

1. Incredible Drumming Power: Their heads can withstand forces 100 times greater than what astronauts experience during launch because their skulls have a specialized, shock-absorbing structure, along with a magnificently long tongue, the back of which wraps around the outside of their skull to add further absorption. 

1. They don’t just eat acorns. While acorns are their winter staple, they also feast on insects, sap, fruit, and even the occasional seed or nut from other trees. At this time of year, you might see them darting out to snag insects’ midair. 

1. Cavity creators: Their nest holes and storage cavities later provide homes for other wildlife, from small owls to tree squirrels, making them important ecosystem engineers. 

1. Excellent memories: With thousands of acorns tucked away, Acorn Woodpeckers rely on sharp spatial memory to move and manage their stores throughout the winter. 

A Year-Round Neighbor 

One of the joys of having acorn woodpeckers in Sycamore Grove Park is that they don’t migrate far. They’re year-round residents, and their presence changes with the seasons. Today you will hear heightened calling as breeding is in full swing. In the summer months, watch for adults ferrying insects to hungry nestlings. Come fall, enjoy the spectacle of acorn harvesting. And in winter, see the steady stream of birds visiting the granary, plucking out carefully cured acorns to sustain the family through cooler months. 

Their busy lives unfold above our heads, often unnoticed unless we pause and look up. So next time you’re passing through Olivina Trail or Walnut Trail, tune your ears to the laughter in the trees. That cheerful racket just might lead you to one of nature’s most industrious and sociable birds—proof that in our community park, cooperation and good planning are always in season!