Experts with Audubon California are expressing surprise and disappointment at news that two homeowners association in Rossmoor have obtained permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to kill up to 50 Acorn Woodpeckers that are drilling holes in homes to store food.

“Shooting the birds is a drastic and unfortunate step to take,” said Graham Chisholm, director of conservation for Audubon California. “By building in oak woodlands, we are putting homes squarely in the woodpecker’s habitat, forcing them to find ways to get along. I know these residents feel they have tried everything to persuade the birds to not use their homes, but there are better options.”

Chisholm offered Audubon California’s assistance in case the homeowners’ are willing to consider another option. “Acorn Woodpeckers will return in months or years, even after Rossmoor kills 50 birds,” he said. “You can’t just kill every Acorn Woodpecker in the East Bay.”

Acorn Woodpeckers are a fairly common and beloved bird in California, and are not on any list of threatened or endangered species. It is a highly social bird that is known to store food in large communal granaries drilled in oaks or other woodland trees. As housing developments have encroached into these woodlands, the creative birds have been known to drill their holes in buildings or other structures.

“It’s no accident that Acorn Woodpeckers are so popular among California nature enthusiasts,” added Chisholm. “It’s a beautiful, social bird that fills a unique role in the state’s ecology. Nobody wants to see them killed for just doing what they do.”