Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Red-cockaded Woodpecker

This specialist black and white, robin-sized woodpecker has been through a very hard history.  They were part of old-pine forest with a nearly clear understory.  An endangered jewel like this occurs in loblolly, slash, and long leaf pine forest.  They require frequent fire cleansing, in order to give them the best habitat so they will raise young and continue their population growth.

A most interesting notable fact about the species, is the fact that it deliberately allows sap to ooze around its nesting cavity.  This keeps tree climbing snakes and rodentia at bay, i.e. the rat snake and flying squirrels, especially because the birds have the good sense to keep the sap wells open during the warm seasons of the year when snakes are active.

As another cooperative breeder, a couple of generations of family will incubate eggs, brood young, and forage for them, so that the matriarch and patriarch can do more important things and save their energy for producing eggs.  Much of this activity is still closely monitored by Fish and Wildlife.

Controlled burns are done every few years within the viable environment that these birds favor.  They will not tolerate a canopy within their nesting area, and the older trees must be well maintained as they will not nest in young trees, for they do not have enough girth for a nest cavity.

                                                    Female Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Over the years, to assist the species, manmade artificial nest cavities and translocation programs came into use.  These programs were strictly for the good of the species, which was nearly extirpated in several locales.  Through love and diligence for the species, they managed to prevail with extensive forest management.  It may still be touch and go for the good of these woodpeckers, especially since habitat loss is a major setback for many birds.

The Calls and Sounds of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker:

https://www.bird-sounds.net/red-cockaded-woodpecker
courtesy of Andrew Spencer, USDA.  Sample taken in Florida.


Unfortunately, with the addition of the human population into segmented regions of the United States and logging operations, less habitat was available for not only the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, but many other animals were also affected.  Therefore, once this inconspicuous woodpecker's populations were seriously impacted through ignorance, it was nearly too late for the species.

Forest landscape interactions, like tornados, hurricanes, bark beetle infestations, southern pine beetle epidemics, and beetle spots tend to affect cluster areas and foraging habitat.  This could go either way once the human effect is added to the equation.  There was a time when simple disease would be restricted to a small area, but with the compound effect, forestry practices must be tailored specifically to all difficulties at hand at any given time.

Through the good fortune and astute actions of a number of people, the survival of this bird was assured through proper fire-maintained ecology, as well as the historical knowledge of the southeast part of this country.  Since we have managed to avoid another near catastrophic extinction, not only have we brought this unusual species back from the brink, but the same system is doing good for more birds and mammals of the eastern part of the country.

Now that we are once again at the crossroads of saving more species than we are losing, how we choose to act will determine the survival of our own species in the future.  Hopefully, we will choose wisely over money and assets.