RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER (RCW) Picoides borealis

1. RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER (RCW)Picoidesborealis Mary Jo Barbato September 8, 2010

2. Where…do the birds live? • This presentation will explore: • Where the birds live, • Why they are endangered, and • What is being done to keep them from extinction. (www.allaboutbirds.org)

3. Where…do the birds live? This species is one of only a few that is found exclusively in the United States. Its natural territory is found in the southeast corner of the country where it lives in pine forests. (Cornell Lab, 2009) (Jackson, 1994)

4. Where…do the birds live? • The red-cockaded woodpecker has a very specific set of habitat requirements. • Nests only in live trees – most woodpeckers nest in dead trees • Nests specifically in long leaf pine trees • Prefers pine trees infected with red heart fungus. • This infection helps in 2 ways: • Softens the wood and makes it easier to make a nesting hole • Pitch flows around the hole and keeps predators away Long leaf pine forest. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002) (Cornell Lab, 2009)

5. Where…do the birds live? • Additional habitat characteristics include: • Old growth trees • Social birds – live in family groups • Doesn’t migrate Young Male and Female RCWs (Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.) (Jackson, 1994)

6. Where…do the birds live? • The RCW lives in the long leaf pine ecosystem. Attributes of this system include: • Fire maintained • Depletes dead trees • Long leaf pine is adapted to fire – produces old growth trees • Makes for an open forest – many food sources for RCWs grow from fire • maintained habitats, spiders, beetles, etc. • Other species use RCW’s empty cavities for nesting: • Snakes • Squirrels • Lizards and frogs • Wood ducks • Tree bark covers most of the RCWs food source: • Insects – Spiders, beetles and ants • Fruit • Seeds (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002)

7. Why…are the birds endangered? Long leaf pine (LLP) ecosystem decline • 1700’s brought settlers to the area (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002) • Timber harvesting (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002) • Urbanization (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002) • Agriculture (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002) • Replacement of long leaf with slash pine (Jackson, 1994) 1900s logging of long leaf pine trees (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002)

8. Why…are the birds endangered? Today’s forests are different • Only 3% of original species’ habitat remains • Trees are younger (LLP don’t suffer from red heart fungus until 80-120 years (Long Leaf Alliance, 2002)) • Lack of fires has made forests dense and complete with dead trees and hardwoods Natural mortality • Female nestlings – 68% mortality rate through 6 months • Male nestlings – 57% mortality rate through 6 months • One nesting per year (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002)

9. Why…are the birds endangered? RCWs numbers • Since first European settlers, down by 99% • 1970 – fewer than 10,000 individual birds • 1990s – brought some stabilization to numbers • 2002 – 14,000 individual birds • Listed on endangered species list in 1970 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002)

10. Why…are the birds endangered? Endangered status has negative effect: • Land owner’s are concerned with regulations associated with species found on their land • Cut down old growth trees to discourage bird nesting so their land doesn’t become controlled by environmental regulations • Prevention of forest fires to make habitat less preferable and to keep danger from urban areas (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 2002)

11. What…is being done to save them? 7 day old RCW being fitted with a tracking ring (Arkive, 2010) • Regular burning of forest floors • Education • Monetary incentives to landowner’s to help attract birds • Most studied woodpecker • Researchers monitoring young birds • (Arkive, 2010)

12. What…is being done to save them? Federal and State funded programs: • Mitigation sites for rebound of numbers • Banding of adult and young birds for monitoring • Laws governing land use practices to protect old growth trees (NCDOT, 2003) Placard on tree in North Carolina mitigation site: DO NOT CUT TREES (NCDOT, 2003) Educational sign on tree: DO NOT DISTURB (Lasley, n.d.)

13. What…is being done to save them? • Work continues to help stabilize and increase the number of birds by: • Habitat improvement – controlled burning • Artificial nesting boxes • Relocation – young birds are moved to • better suited habitats • (Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.) Artificial nesting box (Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.)

14. Conclusion The red-cockaded woodpecker remains on the endangered species list but has shown slow signs of stabilization and growth in numbers. Restoration and creation of new habitats, land-use regulations, and public education have proven to be some of the necessary steps in prolonging the viability of this species. (Lasley, n.d.)

15. Bibliography • Arkive-Images of Live Earth. 2010. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. Retrieved on September 5, 2010 from website: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/longleafalliance/teachers/teacherkit/ woodpecker.htm • The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2009. All About Birds. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from website: http://www.allabout birds.org/guide/Red-cockaded_Woodpecker/id • Jackson, Jerome A. 1994. Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from the Birds of North America Online website: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/085doi:10.2173/bna.85 • Lasley, Greg. Greg Lasley Nature Photography. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from website: http://www.greglasley.net /redcock.html • The Long Leaf Alliance. 2002. A Family of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers Makes a Home in a Mature Long Leaf Pine Tree. Retrieved on September 6, 2010 from website: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/longleafalliance/teachers/ teacherkit/woodpecker.htm • NCDOT North Carolina Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from website: http://www.nc dot.org/programs/environment/awards/RedCockaded.htm • Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Retrieved on September 6, 2010 from website: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/ pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0013_red_cockaded_woodpecker.pdf • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Red-cockaded woodpecker. Retrieved on September 8, 2010 from website: http:// www.fws.gov/rcwrecovery/pdfs/rcw.pdf