Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis)

Description

Red-cockaded woodpecker fact file

• Description
• Biology
• Range
• Habitat
• Status
• Threats
• Conservation
• Find out more
• Glossary
• References
• Print factsheet

Red-cockaded woodpecker description

The red-cockaded woodpecker may not be the most striking woodpecker in appearance, but it is possibly the most studied woodpecker species in the world ⁽⁴⁾, due to its dependence on a very particular habitat type. This medium-sized bird can be easily distinguished from other woodpeckers within its range by the white cheeks, which contrast sharply with a black crown ⁽⁵⁾. The back and wings are also black, spotted with white, resulting in the plumage appearing dark grey from a distance, and the underparts typically look dirty white ⁽⁵⁾. The only colour in its monochromatic plumage is a tiny red tuft above the eyes of the male, although this can rarely be seen ⁽⁵⁾. It is after this minute patch of feathers that the bird is named, as it was thought to resemble a cockade (a rosette or knot of ribbons worn on a hat) ⁽⁵⁾. The red-cockaded woodpecker has a bill like that of other woodpeckers, wedge-shaped and with a chisel-like tip, providing an efficient tool with which to excavate cavities in tree trunks ⁽⁵⁾. Also typical of all woodpeckers is its tail, which has stiff feathers that enable the tail to be used as a prop when the bird is pecking at a tree ⁽⁶⁾.

Size

Length: 22 cm ⁽²⁾

Red-cockaded woodpecker biology

The life of a red-cockaded woodpecker is rather different to that of other North American woodpeckers; its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is a social bird that lives in family groups of two to five individuals ^{(4) (7)}. The red-cockaded woodpeckers in each family group roost and nest together ⁽⁵⁾, in cavities that have been excavated in ancient pines, often over 100 years old ⁽²⁾. Eggs are laid within a cavity from late April to early June ⁽²⁾, and all members of the family group may help in raising the chicks ^{(4) (7)}.

The family group sometimes also searches for food together ⁽⁵⁾. When feeding, the red-cockaded woodpecker is an active bird, moving up and down trunks, along branches, and changing trees frequently, showing a preference for larger trees ⁽⁵⁾. It uses its chisel-like bill to pry off pieces of bark to search for insects beneath, leaving a trail of bark shards on the forest floor. Occasionally, this woodpecker may descend to the forest floor, where it progresses in short hops ⁽⁵⁾.

Red-cockaded woodpecker range

Once found throughout southeast USA ⁽¹⁾, the red-cockaded woodpecker’s range is now much reduced, and covers an area that extends from Oklahoma east to Virginia, and south to Florida and Texas ⁽⁷⁾. Within this area, the species now occurs as approximately 30 isolated populations ⁽²⁾.

Red-cockaded woodpecker habitat

The red-cockaded woodpecker is found only in mature pine forests ⁽⁸⁾, where fires occur every one to five years ⁽⁷⁾. This frequency of fires results in a forest that is rather open and has little understorey ⁽⁸⁾.

Red-cockaded woodpecker status

The red-cockaded woodpecker is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List ⁽¹⁾, and listed as Endangered on the Endangered Species Act ⁽³⁾.

Red-cockaded woodpecker threats

Native to the pine forests of the southeast USA, the red-cockaded woodpecker is a poignant indicator of the status of this unique ecosystem; the decline in woodpecker populations reflects the devastating loss of this pine habitat ⁽⁷⁾. Man has altered this ecosystem, making areas unsuitable for the red-cockaded woodpecker, and leaving populations fragmented ^{(2) (4)}.

Unfortunately, its Endangered status listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has had some unintended negative impacts on this species. Some owners of land containing suitable habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker are concerned for the regulations that would be imposed on the use of their land if it was discovered to harbour populations of an endangered species. As a result, landowners attempt to make their land unattractive to the woodpecker, by removing old pines, and suppressing fires in order to let the understorey thrive ⁽⁸⁾. Elsewhere too, as human populations grow and occupy new areas, the pressure to prevent natural occurring forest fires increases ⁽²⁾.

Red-cockaded woodpecker conservation

The red-cockaded woodpecker is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, which means that it is illegal to hunt, harm, kill, or capture this species ⁽³⁾. This means it is also unlawful to modify or degrade suitable habitat as this would harm the woodpecker, by impairing its ability to feed or breed ⁽³⁾. Whilst a very well intended action, the listing as Endangered, as mentioned above, has actually had some negative impacts ⁽⁸⁾. However, there are many other conservation actions in place for this well-studied species. Where possible, regular burning and understorey clearance takes place in pine forests, creating a habitat that is suitable for the red-cockaded woodpecker. Elsewhere, some private landowners are offered financial incentives to look after their land in a way that will be attractive to this species ⁽²⁾.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Find out more

To learn about a program which aims to conserve the red-cockaded woodpecker and the ecosystem upon which it depends see:

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
  www.fws.gov/rcwrecovery

For more information on this and other bird species please see:

• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org

Authentication

References

1. IUCN Red List (September, 2008)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. Birdlife International (September, 2009)
   http://www.birdlife.org
3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (September, 2009)
   http://www.fws.gov/endangered/wildlife.html
4. Jackson, J.A. (1994) Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis). In: Poole, A. (Ed) The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca. Available at:
   http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/085
5. Dunne, P. (2006) Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
6. Conner, R.N., Rudolph, D.C. and Walters, J.R. (2001) The Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Surviving in a Fire-Maintained Ecosystem. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.
7. Wells, J.V. (2007) Birder’s Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
8. Van Dyke, F. (2003) Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications. McGraw-Hill, London.