RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos borcalis (Vicillot) 



Order: PICIFORMES Family: PICIDAE 



Distinguishing characteristics : Small woodpecker with black and white horizontal stripes 

 on back, white cheeks and under parts, flanks black streaked. Cap and stripe on side 

 of throat and neck black . Male has a small red spot on each side of black cap . 



Present distribution : Resident in open, old age pine woodlands from Southeastern 

 Oklahoma, Arkansas, Western Kentucky, Southeastern Virginia south to Gulf Coast and 

 southern Florida . 



Former distribution : Southern Missouri, Western Kentucky, and southeastern Virginia, 

 south to Gulf Coast and Southern Florida . 



Status : Vulnerable, because of limited number of specialized nesting sites in old, living 

 pines infected with red-heart disease, and current trend in forestry practice to eliminate 

 such trees . 



Estimated numbers : Estimate 3,000 to 10,000 but uncommon and very local. 



Protective measures already taken : Federal and some State forestry agencies have 

 policies of saving some large pine trees infected with red-heart disease in limited areas 

 where red-cockaded woodpeckers are known to occur . 



Measures proposed : Managing blocks of land to provide all necessary habitat requirements . 



Number in captivity : None known . 



Breeding potential in captivity : Probably poor . 



References : 



Bent, A. C. 1939. Life histories of North American woodpeckers . U.S. Nat. Mus . 



Bull. 174:72-79. 

 Czuhai, E. 1971. Synoptic review of forest resource and use within the range of 



the red-cockaded woodpecker . In the Ecology and Management of the Red-cockaded 



Woodpecker, Proc . Symposium at Okefenokee Nat. Wildlife Refuge, Folkston, Ga. 



May 26-27, 1971, sponsored by Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and Tall 



Timbers Research Station. 

 Dennis , J . V . 1972 . Red-cockaded woodpecker . National Parks and Conservation 



Magazine. 46(4): 24-27. 

 Jackson, J. A. 1971. The evolution, taxonomy, distribution, past populations and 



current status of the Red-cockaded woodpecker. In The Ecology and Management 



of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Proc. Symposium at Okefenokee Nat. Wildlife 



Refuge, Folkston, Ga . May 26-27, 1971, sponsored by Bureau of Sport Fisheries 



and Wildlife and Tall Timbers Research Station . 

 Lay, D. W. , and D.N. Russell. 1970. Notes on the Red-cockaded woodpecker in 



Texas. Auk 87:781-786. 



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