Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Synopsis: Nests in loose colonies in cavities in old oak groves in the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys. Apparently has expanded into the Willamette Valley from the south within the last 50 years. A colony established in The Dalles in the 1970's is apparently gone now, although a few birds remain across the river in Lyle, Washington. Most notable are the records from the southern Coast Range and Siskiyou Mountains (see Oregon Birds 23:13-14).

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Douglas Fir-Mixed Deciduous Forest (1684 acres)
White Oak Forest (100088 acres)
strong
Jeffery Pine Forest/Woodland (53479 acres)
Ponderosa Pine/White Oak Forest & Woodland (70173 acres)
Siskiyou Mtns Mixed Deciduous Forest (171879 acres)
some
Douglas Fir-White Fir/Tanoak-Madrone Mixed Forest (1038152 acres)
Douglas Fir/White Oak Forest (80160 acres)
Urban/Residential (259383 acres)
lesser
South coast Mixed Forest (1826 acres)

Relative Detectability: Fairly easy to detect and to confirm nesting.

Challenge: Determine if it nests at additional locations in Lane County, and monitor long-term viability of known colonies in urban areas.