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Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
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 Description:
A small (7 - 8 inches in length) black and white woodpecker, with no
visible red. It can be distinguished from other black and white
woodpeckers by its large white cheek patch and zebra striped or ladder back.
Other small Alabama woodpeckers have either an unstriped white back, a black
eye-stripe, or red on the head. The red-cockaded is also the only Alabama
woodpecker that lives in living pine trees, drilling a round hole approximately
3 inches in diameter through the sapwood and into the heart of the tree. They
also peck out resin wells, half-dollar sized wounds which bleed resin onto the
tree trunk. The resin encrusted tree stem is often easier to identify than the
bird. It can resemble a large wax candle and is easily seen in the open woods
the bird usually inhabits. Other woodpeckers and some animals use abandoned
red-cockaded dens, but often enlarge the entrance. The resin on active trees is
clear or amber in color. That on in appearance. Red-cockadeds live in small
groups in a one to ten acre area called a cluster or colony. They feed by prying
off loose bark and feeding on the mites , insects, and larvae underneath rather
than by drilling into dead wood like other woodpeckers.
Distribution by County: Red-cockadeds can occur anywhere in the state where there is old pine timber in open stands. Counties where they are known to occur include Baldwin, Bibb, Calhoun, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Dallas, Escambia, Geneva, Hale, Lawrence, Macon, Marshall, Perry, Pickens, Russell, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, and Winston. |
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Forestry
Considerations: Since red-cockadeds require large, old (at least 65
years) pines to nest in, they don’t occur in many places. When encountered in
forestry activities, a determination should be made by an experienced biologist
whether or not the site is actively used. Den trees and the surrounding area
should be left intact until professional advice is obtained. Biologists believe
that foraging stands of fairly large pines are necessary for successful
management for the woodpecker. Logging or other activity near the den trees
during the breeding or brood rearing season may disturb them enough to cause
them to abandon the site or to be unsuccessful in raising the young. The U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service and many of the other listed sources in this manual can
advise on management when red-cockadeds are present. If there are questions
about whether or not the woodpeckers are present or if apparent den trees are
active, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Alabama Department of
Conservation, or any of the other sources listed in Appendix II at the end of
this manual should be consulted.