The Story
This Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) perched on a weathered tree trunk in the montane forest at La Minga Ecolodge in Dapa, near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Its red crown contrasts with the white face and black plumage, framed by the soft green of the Andean forest. It is known for its cooperative family groups and for storing acorns in granaries, trees drilled with hundreds of holes. The Colombian birds belong to the subspecies flavigula, at the southern end of a range that reaches the western United States. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L, at 1/2000 sec, f/6.7, ISO 800, −2.5 EV. Cali, Yumbo, La Cumbre and Dagua have committed to conserving the San Antonio–Km 18 Key Biodiversity Area, the cloud forest around La Minga, along with its water sources.
©2024 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) belongs to the family Picidae (Woodpeckers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List