In California, woodpeckers hid 300 kilograms of acorns in the wall of the house

In the American city of Santa Rosa, woodpeckers have been stockpiling acorns in the chimney of a house for years, from where they spilled into the cavity of the wall during the work of the exterminator. According to The Guardian, stocks accumulated 300 kg.

The exterminator was reportedly checking the walls of the house for mealworms when acorns started pouring out of a hole in the bedroom wall. It turned out that they were hidden there by ant woodpeckers, who usually collect acorns and hide them in small holes in the bark of trees and in old stumps.

As it turns out, the birds first tried to store their supplies in the house’s wood paneling until the previous owner switched to vinyl siding. After that, the woodpeckers began to put acorns into the chimney, from where they fell into the cavity of the wall, and the birds could not reach them. Despite this, woodpeckers continued to persistently put their supplies there.

According to specialist in this species, Dr. Angela Brierley, the whole life of ant woodpeckers “revolves around acorns.” It can take generations up to 100 years to make more than 50,000 storage holes. Families sometimes defend their “granaries” by staging spectacular fights in oak forests all along the Oregon coast, California, and Mexico.

Unfortunately, the 300-kilogram stock had to be thrown away as the acorns were contaminated with fiberglass and rat droppings. But experts say that the birds probably still have a lot of reserves in the nearest trees. “If they find a hole that can fit an acorn, then an acorn will be put in,” Dr. Brierley was quoted as saying by the publication.