acorn woodpecker

noun

: a woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) found from the U.S. Pacific coast south to Colombia that stores acorns in small holes which it digs especially in the bark of trees

Examples of acorn woodpecker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1996, the previous landowner donated a conservation easement to the trust with the intention of protecting the land’s mix vegetation and wildlife that includes the California king snake, California red-legged frog and the acorn woodpecker. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Bird-watchers can spot everything from California condors to acorn woodpeckers, and campers can now reserve a site inside the park limits. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026

But the acorn woodpecker is a resident bird that prefers to remain here and has developed a unique process of gathering and storing acorns to sustain the clan until the next crop is produced. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026

In the giant redwood and oak trees that surround it, a family of acorn woodpeckers make their nests. — Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for acorn woodpecker

• checker
• chequer
• decker
• wrecker
• exchequer