melanerpes formicivorus

1 definition found

melanerpes formicivorus - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Carpintero \Car`pin*te"ro\ (k[aum]r`p[-e]n*t[asl]"r[-o]), n.
     [Sp., a carpenter, a woodpecker.]
     A california woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), noted
     for its habit of inserting acorns in holes which it drills in
     trees. The acorns become infested by insect larv[ae], which,
     when grown, are extracted for food by the bird.
     [1913 Webster]