Acorn Woodpecker Family Guards Their Stash

When other foods are scarce, acorns will be here, safe in their shells and ready to eat. This is prosperity for the family, a true measure of wealth. But wealth, it turns out, is a whole lot of work. Now, they constantly test and turn the acorns as they dry and shrink, to make sure each one is still snug in its hole. If the hole seems too big, they look for a better fit, tapping the acorn back in tight. It's a process fraught with difficult decisions, and an acorn dropped could be lost forever. Every member of the family serves on acorn security duty. A ground squirrel boldly climbs the oak, only to find the entire tree is woodpecker property. Any outsider, whether furry or feathered, is swiftly dispatched. What worries the family most are raiding parties of competing acorn woodpeckers. All across the valley, groups keep an eye on each other's holdings. Waiting for an opening to take them over. Woodpecker spies are everywhere, and though they all look alike to us, the home team always knows who doesn't belong.