A desert species, the Gila Woodpecker makes nest holes in Saguaro cactus, riparian trees and buildings. These holes are often used by many other cavity nesting birds that can not make their own holes. This woodpecker adjusts readily to humans and is common in desert cities and suburbs. It feeds on insects, fruit and berries, and has been known to eat bird eggs.
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This species is dependent on oaks and acorns for its survival. It stores acorns for the winter by jamming surplus acorns one by one into shallow holes pecked out in a tree, telephone pole or fence post. Up to 50,000 acorns have been counted on the trunk of a single \granary\ tree, but it also stores other nuts when they are available. The Acorn Woodpecker is an unusually noisy species and lives in colonies of up to 16 individuals that are made up of at least two breeding pairs and all their offspring from previous nestings.