300 different kinds of of birds pass through Griffith Park. When you learn to identify just a single species, you become a real birder, it’s a special thrill to spot “your” bird.

A great starter bird – THE ACORN WOODPECKER is a fantastically fun-to-watch, year round Griffith Park resident.

This energetic bird works nonstop, every day, to gather acorns, store acorns, move acorns to better storage places and chatter with other acorn woodpeckers. Their call sounds like raucous avian laughter, and inspired the voice (but not the look) of Woody Woodpecker.

An Acorn Woodpecker’s hoarding place is called a GRANARY, most often in the bark of a tree. A single granary can store 50,000 to 100,000 acorns.

However, you may also discover granaries in abandoned cars; old barbecue grills; electric poles; the walls of buildings; and even in hollow, metal sign posts, like one in Fern Dell.

Sadly, Acorn Woodies can’t always retrieve acorns from sign posts; they’re hard workers, but not great planners.

Acorn Woodpeckers often live in big family groups of several males and several females (called a polygynandrous breeding collective) who share the duties of raising the young and the never-ending acorn business. Their constant interaction is a joy to watch.

Acorn Woodpeckers live in western North America and Central America, with the greatest concentration in California. They’re mostly black, with a black-and-white patterned breast, mostly-white face and forehead, and a red cap; females have a broad, black stripe between their white face and red cap. In this photo the male is in front; the female in back.

Acorn Woodpeckers might be found anywhere in Griffith Park, but surefire spots to witness them include Fern Dell; Bette Davis Picnic Area; Mineral Wells Picnic Area; the Old Zoo and Merry-Go-Round area; trees just
south of Griffith Observatory; Vermont Canyon Road, and near any oak tree grove. This female is sipping water on a hot day near Mineral Wells Picnic Area.

Tips for birding success: earphones make it difficult to hear birds; think about taking them out when looking for birds. Also, consider leaving the pooch at home, as most birds tend to flee when they see even the friendliest dog.

GOOD LUCK fiinding Acorn Woodpeckers!

~Michael Perry

Also check out this article on the Nuttalls woodpecker.
Jorge Ochoa also weighs in…

If you’re interested in bird sounds and identifications, here are a couple of apps you can download…
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audubon.mobile.android&hl=en_US&pli=1