Threatened & Endangered : Red-cockaded Woodpeckers

The red-cockaded woodpecker evolved within the southeastern pine ecosystem and requires large tracts of live, old-growth pines for nesting. Increased demand for wood products, shifts in silvicultural practices, and fire-suppression programs have greatly reduced and altered the historic pinelands of the southeast. By the mid-1900s pine habitat required by red-cockaded woodpeckers had been reduced by more than 95%. The species was listed as endangered in 1968 under The Endangered Species Protection Act and subsequently under The Endangered Species Act of 1973. Reduced to less than 20 individuals in the state, red-cockaded woodpeckers represent Virginia's most endangered breeding bird.

Center for Conservation Biology staff have worked with red-cockaded woodpeckers in Virginia since the late 1970's. From status and distribution surveys to annual monitoring of breeding sites and productivity, the Center has been a leader in the long-term management of red-cockaded woodpeckers in Virginia. Today, with new population management techniques, and teams of collaborators, the Center will assist in an unprecedented effort to re-establish a viable population of red-cockaded woodpeckers in the state.