Campus Avian Clowns Approach Endangered Status

By Don Gilman · The Mainstream
Published November 16, 2011

They are the permanent, year-round residents of UCC. Neither students nor faculty, they are not on the payroll as maintenance or security, and yet they are seen everywhere on campus, always looking for a bite to eat or put away. Their colorful, clownish faces are a perfect match for their playful behavior and their bright attire stand out even on the rainiest of days.

They are Acorn woodpeckers, and in the birding world, they are considered one of the most satisfying and interesting birds to study. Let’s start with their behavior. Gregarious and communal, the acorn woodpecker operates in large family groups that cooperatively raise young, gather and store food, and drive off enemies. Occasionally they will even organize ‘waka waka’ meetings where all the members of the communal group will gather and apparently ‘discuss’ whatever subject brought the meeting to order.

When it comes to raising young, Acorn Woodpeckers rely on the entire flock to help. Uncles, aunts and even cousins look after fledglings and may even help feed them. A family unit, known as a ‘bushel’, may have up to ten breeding males, and three breeding females.

Another unique habit of the acorn woodpecker is its habit of drilling holes in a tree and using that particular tree as a storage facility. Known as ‘Granaries’, these particular trees are used by one family unit only, and are quite often filled with acorns in anticipation of the coming winter. The largest such granary had close to 50,000 acorns stored. The birds will jam the acorns so tightly into the holes that even squirrels cannot pry them out. There is one of these granaries on campus. Located in the parking lot near the science building, it is often visited by the woodpeckers, adding another acorn to the store. Feel free to visit and watch, but don’t disturb or harass the birds.

With their colorful feathers cloaked in red, white and black, and their brilliant, glaring, white eyes, they stand out, and being longtime residents of the area, they aren’t particularly shy, so observing them is easy. The biggest challenge is keeping up with their flights from tree to tree, as they are energetic birds, and rarely remain still.

They sing in a wide variety of chattering tones, and one of their vocalizations is the inspiration for one of history’s most famous birds. Take a close listen and you may recognize the cackling laugh of Woody Woodpecker, whose well-known call was inspired by the very same bird that we hear every day on campus.

“Unfortunately, they are heading towards threatened status,” said Peggy Cheatham, former president of Umpqua Wildlife Rescue, “When people see Acorn Woodpeckers, they usually see them in groups, and assume they are doing well, but they are threatened by habitat loss, so we don’t see them in numbers like we used to.”

So whether they are hammering acorns into storage holes, chasing one another around campus or gathering for a ‘waka waka’ meeting, the Acorn Woodpecker is one of the most charismatic and entertaining residents of Western Oregon and UCC.