[Length 3.8 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This male Violet-crowned Woodnymph was photographed at the ProAves El Dorado Reserve, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Department Magdalena, Colombia. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: June 8, 2009)

[Length 3.8 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This male Violet-crowned Woodnymph in flight was photographed at the ProAves El Dorado Reserve, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Department Magdalena, Colombia. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: June 8, 2009)

[Length 3.8 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This female Violet-crowned Woodnymph was photographed at the ProAves El Dorado Reserve, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Department Magdalena, Colombia. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: June 8, 2009)

[Length 3.8 in. Wingspan xx in.]

This female Violet-crowned Woodnymph was photographed at the ProAves El Dorado Reserve, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Department Magdalena, Colombia. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: June 9, 2009)

[Length 9 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

Acorn Woodpeckers, with their clown-like faces, are common visitors at feeders in the southwestern US. They get their name from their habit of drilling small holes in trees (and telephone poles) into which they hammer acorns so tightly that even squirrels can't extract them! Acorn Woodpeckers breed in loose colonies of up to 16 birds, and their presence is usually announced by a variety of loud, raucous "WAKE-UP WAKE-UP WAKE-UP" calls. They feed on insects (in addition to the acorns they store up for a "rainy day"), and are often seen "flycatching" insects in midair - a strange behavior for a woodpecker! This one was photographed near a feeder at the Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon, Arizona, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 400 film. (Date: May 1985)

[Length 9 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

This Acorn Woodpecker was photographed in the foothills near Arroyo Grande, California, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: November 1997)

[Length 9 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

This Acorn Woodpecker was photographed at a "cache" tree full of acorns in the foothills near Arroyo Grande, California, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: November 1997)

[Length 9 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

This Acorn Woodpecker was photographed at a hummingbird feeder in the Davis Mountains near Fort Davis, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1993)

[Length 9 in. Wingspan 17.5 in.]

This Acorn Woodpecker acorn storage tree was photographed at Pine Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: December 11, 2010)