Dryobates borealis , red-cockaded woodpecker

Red-cockaded woodpeckers are federally endangered birds native to pine forests primarily in the southeastern United States. They are mainly insectivorous, eating arthropods gleaned from trees. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are nonmigratory, cavity-nesters that live in groups consisting of a breeding pair and up to five helpers. The historical range of red-cockaded woodpeckers was mostly comprised of longleaf pine communities, which is the primary species used for nesting, roosting, and foraging. Red-cockaded woodpeckers also occur in shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, and slash pine communities, and they can use pond pine, Virginia pine, and pitch pine communities at the edges of their range, mainly for foraging. They are particularly dependent on open, “park-like” forests of mature pine trees with few midstory trees or shrubs and a diverse mix of grasses and forbs. Red-cockaded woodpeckers excavate cavities for nesting and roosting into the heartwood of large, living pines. Excavating a new cavity generally takes between 3 and 10 years, depending on conditions. Individuals roost in their own cavity and clusters of cavities are used by groups. Open pine forests preferred by red-cockaded woodpeckers are maintained by frequent, low-severity fire—burning annually in some areas. Tall southern pines generally survive frequent fire, and longleaf pine can survive even as seedlings. In contrast, understory hardwoods and shrubs are either top-killed or killed by frequent fire. In the absence of frequent fire, hardwoods and shrubs quickly form a dense understory, creating conditions that red-cockaded woodpeckers cannot use. Red-cockaded woodpeckers living in areas with frequent, low-severity fire tend to fledge more young, live in larger groups, and have increased access to prey compared to those living in areas with less frequent fire. Fire-excluded southern pine forests often have uncharacteristically high fine fuel loads and dense understories, making it difficult to use prescribed fire to improve red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. After more than a century of fire exclusion, mechanical treatments are often necessary to open the understory before prescribed fire can be used without jeopardizing mature pines. Prescribed fires are conducted in both the dormant and growing seasons, with recommended intervals of 5 years or less. Red cockaded woodpeckers were once widespread and relatively common across the Southeast, but over 95% of their historical habitat has been lost due to logging, development, agriculture, and subsequent fire exclusion since the late 19th century. Southern pine beetle epidemics also threaten remaining red-cockaded woodpecker habitat, especially those in loblolly pine and shortleaf pine communities. Since their federal listing in 1970, large-scale recovery efforts have been successful in increasing their range-wide population from fewer than 10,000 individuals to over 30,000 individuals as of 2020. Long-term recovery efforts include restoring habitat via prescribed burning and thinning, managing southern pine beetles, creating artificial cavities, translocating individuals or groups, and creating new territories. Climate change has led to increased temperatures, rainfall, frequency and severity of drought, and hurricane severity in red-cockaded woodpeckers’ range. Documented effects on red-cockaded woodpeckers include changes in nesting dates and varying reproductive success. Continued increases in frequency of drought and extreme weather may reduce the number of available days for prescribed burning, complicating management efforts to restore and maintain red-cockaded woodpecker habitat.