Fernandina’s flicker  (Colaptes fernandinae)

Fernandina’s flicker has been down-listed from Endangered to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because its largest sub-population in Zapata is thought to number more than 250 individuals (2). Nevertheless, the bird has a very small population, which is severely fragmented and rapidly declining, largely due to habitat loss (2) (3). Logging and extensive forest clearance for agriculture are at least partly responsible for the bird’s decline and continue to pose significant threats. Hurricanes have also had a devastating impact on the palm trees on which the species depends (2) (4). Nest trees are often shared with the Cuban parrot Amazona leucocephala, and parrot trappers frequently topple the trees to collect young parrots, destroying both the woodpecker’s brood and the nest site (2). Additionally, West Indian woodpeckers Melanerpes superciliaris have been observed to prey on the eggs and chicks of Fernandina’s flicker (2).

The Cuban government has created a number of reserves (4), including the entire Zapata Swamp area, which contains the stronghold for this species, but there are inadequate resources to effectively police and protect the area (2) (4). Proposed conservation measures for future consideration include raising awareness of the vulnerability of this rare woodpecker, through displaying posters in areas where it still exists, and fitting nest-boxes to live palms within and around known nesting areas (2) (4).