Red-cockaded Woodpecker Management

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Management

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency responsible for endangered species management, has developed guidelines and population goals to aid in the recovery of the red-cockaded woodpecker. The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve has been designated as an Essential Support Population, which means the woodpeckers at the preserve occupy a unique habitat and protecting them will help bring the national population back to normal levels.

There are currently 28 groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve. Woodpecker management activities include conducting annual breeding season surveys and bird banding to track population status and survival. Adult woodpeckers are also counted and monitored for reproductive success and dispersal. Periodic habitat assessments are conducted to determine management needs. Natural cavities are periodically supplemented with artificial inserts and drilled cavities to ensure that there is suitable nest and roost habitat available. All RCW management activities at the preserve are conducted by consulting biologists, Dr. J.H. Carter III & Associates, Inc.