Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis)

Red-cockaded woodpeckers are black and white woodpeckers. They are about the size of a cardinal. The feathers on the tops of their heads form a black cap. Males have a few red feathers, called a "cockade," at the base of their black cap on both sides of their head.

Red-cockaded woodpeckers are unusual. They are the only woodpeckers that build cavities in live trees. The cavity holes are easy to notice. The woodpeckers peck holes along the bottom of each cavity. This makes sticky sap drain out of the tree and run down the trunk. The sticky sap prevents predators from climbing up the tree and getting into the cavity. Red-cockaded woodpeckers have a lot of babysitting experience. Instead of leaving home and becoming breeders, most young birds continue to live at home for many years with their parents. These young birds, called "helpers," do not have chicks of their own. Instead, 'helpers' remain at home and assist their parents in raising their younger brothers and sisters.

The cavities, which are used for nesting and sleeping, take about 1-3 years to dig out. It is a slow process because live trees have hard wood at the center. All other species of woodpeckers dig cavities in dead trees. Dead trees are soft and rotted on the inside but do not produce the protective sap. They are much easier to dig out. The woodpeckers are very specific about what types of trees they will use for cavities. They use old long-leaf pines almost exclusively. Unfortunately, in the past 200 years loggers have cut down most of the old pine forests that once covered the southeast. As a result, Red-cockaded woodpeckers are almost extinct. Only 1% of the original number of birds remains. They are now an endangered species.

Land managers try to protect the woodpeckers by managing forests for woodpecker habitat. One approach is to use fire ecology. The woodpeckers prefer old long-leaf pines surrounded by open land. Through controlled burning, land managers remove the vegetation surrounding the pines. Because of forest management and an interest in replanting a useful native tree, these interesting woodpeckers are no longer declining. Their populations are remaining stable.