Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Scientific Name: Picoides borealis

Status: Endangered

Population Size: 5,627 groups or approximately 14,000 birds (according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003)

Range: Historically, the RCW occurred from east Texas and Oklahoma, to Florida, and north to New Jersey. The present distribution is similar, except the RCWs no longer exists in Missouri, Maryland, and New Jersey. The remaining birds are fragmented into isolated populations.

Size: 7-8 inches tall

Markings: Black cap and nape, large white cheek patches, back is barred black and white. Belly is white with black spots on sides and flanks. The male has a small, red spot behind the eye (called a "cockade"). Juvenile males have a red patch in the center of the crown.

Diet: This woodpecker's diet is composed mainly of insects including ants, beetles, wood-boring insects, caterpillars, and corn ear worms if available. About 16 to 18 percent of the diet includes seasonal wild fruit.

Reproduction: Egg laying occurs during April, May, and June with the female utilizing her mate's roosting cavity for a nest. Maximum clutch size is 7 eggs with the average being 3-5 eggs. From egg laying to fledging requires about 38 days; several more weeks are needed before the young become completely independent.

Song: Red-cockaded woodpecker song