Towheeblog

ACORN WOODPECKERS

They are among my favorites, great social democrats, all for one and one for all.  But violently tribal as well. Without the whole village they could not withstand the acorn pillaging of squirrels or scrub-jays.  They know in their genes, it takes a village. And these villages are prone to inter-tribal wearfare. Sound familiar?

Click here for article on latest research into what happens when a piece of acorn-rich territory opens up for occupation.

Ours is just one of the many species that resort to violence in defense of our materialism. For the ACWO that material is the acorn and the oak trees they depend on to survive, winters, droughts, even forest fires. Oaks generally do better than most conifers during a fire. Native Americans used annual burning in the Willamette and Sacramento Valleys to keep weeds and brush down, acorn production up. These woodpeckers must have laughed happily to watch those fires.